Thirty Minutes
by Egyptian Rose
Summary: Finished! It only took Thirty minutes to change the fate of the world. And now Botan was stuck in the world without the detectives. But when she sees people who are very familiar, can she help them remember and undo the darkness of the world? HB. Plz read
1. Chapter Eins

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Chapter Eins

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Walking to the park, the sky above was dark and deep blue, almost black. The laughter of Children hung in the wind, but no kids slid down the slides, No kids to hang on monkey bars, and no kids flew on the swings. The eerie wind took the place of the children. The world was empty, Death, everyone had been recruited into the army or killed.

Botan slowly walked into the playground of nothing, the grass death in the wind as the swing danced, longing for the care of a child. Botan took the chains of the swing and sat down swinging back and forth as the tears came again.

It had only taken thirty minutes to bring this fate to the world. She now was forced to live in a world of darkness, no one to talk to and no one to love, she was alone. It was all her fault, if she had only been fast enough to warn them. They would still be there. Even Koenma had gone missing, vanished in the blast with the rest of them.

As she swung Higher she heard the laughter of the ghost children and the voices of the detectives. Tears fell freely now as she remembered them. "Forgive me." She pouted as she let the swinging take her away.

"It was just a normal case… it was supposed to be a normal case!" She shouted to the sky. "Just a normal case." She cried the pain almost too hard to bear "and you said you would always be here for me." She stopped her legs from swinging as she let the swing slowly stop on its own only to sit in the dark sky as the rain fell in huge unforgiving drops.

What would she do now? Everyone she knew was gone. Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Koenma all sucked up by the light of the enemy. Keiko, Yukina, Shizuru, Genkai, all missing, probably dead. Botan survived only because she was away at the time. When she found out about the power of the Enemy…

A drop hit her face as she remembered what happened, She flew as fast as she could to warn them but she was too late, they were already gone. She went into seclusion for a while drenched in a pure hatred in herself that only the devil could hold. She had only been gone a week and the world was in ruin. Darkness covered all and no one lived, and those that did live were hidden well.

The enemy was recruiting Humans for his army for his plan was to take the whole of Demon world. Every infinite inch by force.

Botan shook her head; even now there was nothing she could do. The rain fell harder now making a wall of water and she could feel her lungs begging for air but she knew it was all in her head. She wiped the tears from her eyes and left the laughing of the spirits playing on the playground heading for one of the underground cities where the few remaining lived.

Walking through the crowd of People who now lived in fear and poverty, but they tried to get by, building houses and making money to pay others to go to the surface and get them food, Supplies, clothes. Flowers. Anything for the soul. But flowers were rare now; they would not grow in a dead world. Nothing could grow now. Botan walked to the inn she now worked in, she guessed it was so she could pass the time. Being a deity of death she would be around forever, forced to watch people suffer.

"Hey Botan, can you come here for a moment?" her boss asked, his chubby little body was pale and tattered.

"Yes sir what is it?" She asked

"I need to go to the surface to get my daughter a doll, its her birthday tomorrow." He smiled, "could you take over for me?"

"Uh yes sir." Botan smiled sadly, "Be careful, I didn't see Him up there but he could still come back."

"I will." He nodded and left the inn as two newcomers came in.

"Can I help you?" She asked without looking at them. She washed a few dishes behind the counter and waited for their answer.

"Yeah, we have come from a long way." On said, his hair was dark and careless, lack of gel in a dead world. His clothes were just as tattered as everyone else's. With him however was a boy not much older than the first, his clothes were nicely pressed save for a few frayed edges and seams he looked clean. His red hair tied back in a ponytail so as to keep it out of his face.

"Where my I ask have you come from?" The cities made by people were all connected underground so it wasn't unusual to get new people but it was unlikely. Botan finally turned around and saw their faces dropping the plate, which she held in her hands.

"Are you okay?" The red head asked noting the blood on her hand from the plate slices as it had been chipped before breaking.

"Huh, Kurama…" She shook her head and picked up the pieces

The redhead stepped back a bit. "Excuse me?" he asked,

"Oh nothing, you just look like someone I knew." She said

"Yeah, well we are new here, as we said and we have never seen anyone like you before… sorry?" the other spoke.

"Right…I know." She put on her best face smile, "what was it you said you wanted?"

"Your strongest drink, for both of us." The other said and walked back to the end of the inn to sit at a table.

Botan worked on getting their drinks all the while thinking of how closely they resembled Yusuke and Kurama. But she knew it was her mind playing tricks on her, She had seen this many times before and shook it off. But then why did she get this odd feeling from them? A feeling like she needed to explore this more?

Before her mind could register what happened the door flew open and two men rushed in. "Mak, he was taken" Botan froze, her boss had been taken, "He was forced into he army."

"No!" Botan yelled, "His daughter's birthday is tomorrow, that's not fair!" Tears fell form her eyes again. "No I am going out there and going to get free Mak." Botan called and headed for the door where the two men stopped her,

"You can't go out there, they will just make you join too." One said. The redhead and the other watched with a little interested but not much having seen this many times in many ways.

"I would rather die a thousand deaths." Botan yelled trying to push past them but they would not let her pass.

"That is what will happen if you refuse." The other said Shoving Botan back into the inn. "Just get back to work."

Botan lowered her head and turned back to getting the drinks, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help Mak now. She smiled sadly; it had only taken thirty minutes for the world to become what it was now? And there was no way to get it back to good. Back to the way it was. Thirty minutes to change everything, forever to fix it.


	2. Chapter Zwei

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**Chapter Zwei**

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Botan slowly brought the drinks to the two newcomers and went back to washing dishes. A dismal hum hung over the crowd as the rain could be heard above along with the footsteps of the army men. The entrance to the city was one of many but the dark lord had yet to discover one. But everyone knew it was a postponement, the soldiers would soon find the cities.

Tears fell into the water filled sink and the water undulated from the center to the edges. Even water could fix itself, Botan thought as the water stilled. Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the redhead. "Excuse me, you wouldn't by any chance have any vacancies?"

"Um, actually we do. Most of the travelers only stay a few nights, so we do." she smiled as best she could and handed him a key. "Here I will show you the way." She said walking to the front of the counter and leading him and the other to their room at the end of the hall. "It's not much but," she paused opening the door to a meager room, "it will keep you safe."

"Thank you." the red head bowed and walked into the room after the other and closed the door behind him.

"You are welcome, Kurama." Botan could not get over the fact that those two were so similar to her friends. She took comfort in their presence, then a sudden interest and what brought them to her little city. Walking back to the bar she heard laughter, something she had not heard in a while.

Botan picked up her pace and stopped as she saw a Carrot top with ragged hair telling stupid stories to a table of Girls. Botan smiled to herself, how, that boy held Kuwabara's countenance. Who she see a Hiei look-a-like too? Would he be there too? She hoped so, though she never thought she could forgive him for lying to her.

"I have to get out of here, I am seeing things" Botan Frowned and left someone else in charge and left the inn, heading for the surface, but then was stopped by a handsome stranger. He had brown hair and beautiful eyes, eyes she had seen before. "Officer?"

"Where are you going Botan? Not the surface I hope." He warned

"Well actually I was, don't worry, I will be fine." Botan said and walked on. "Thanks for your concern." She said and walked out of one of the secret entrances and headed back for the dead playground.

The Children had not stopped playing and why should they? They were happy now in the land of the dead. Botan sat in her swing again and let the wind push her. She closed her eyes and the wind was no longer the wind, but it was darkness, a soothing darkness. She could also feel the sun and the green of the grass could be smelled over the soft hum of the rain. She felt like the world was right again. She knew soon that she would have to open her eyes and make her fantasy just that…a fantasy.

Soon the darkness felt like two hands pressed on her back, pushing her faster and higher on the swing. Caring hands. She opened her eyes and looked behind her to see Hiei, Pushing her. She smiled but a drop of rain hit her nose and the vision melted away like a runny painting.

"Why?" she asked.

"Hn, Woman, you know the solders are coming. Not that I care but a woman like you should be inside serving drinks. Since there are so few of you around." Came a rude voice of a dark stranger.

Botan looked up and frowned at the darkness. " You can't talk to me like that. And I don't care if the army takes me I already lost everything. I saw the end of the world." She jumped off of the swing.

"You saw it?" The stranger asked, "I heard that all who were there were killed. "

"Well I wasn't killed. Who are you anyway? Don't tell me that you have been traveling on the surface. "

"What's wrong with that? Too many people below, I prefer to be alone." He shrugged

"They why have you called me, telling me to get inside?" Botan asked. " If you don't care much for people, why would you care if they took me of not?"

"Hn, I don't know. But you have been warned." The stranger walked off

"Wait!" Botan called, "um, thank you anyway, I was wondering, I mean I am the owner of an inn, well now I am, but I would feel better if you stayed in a room."

"Why should I? I am just fine out here." He didn't stop walking.

"Please? Just one night and you wont even have to pay. I would feel better knowing that you made it okay, I have lost so many people already… Please." She cried

"Don't do that, Baka Onna, I will stay." He said and those words caused her to flinch, but she ignored it and walked on showing him to the inn.

After showing the dark stranger his room, she had the pleasure of showing the carrot top a room as well, All in the same hallway only because it was the closest hall to the exit just in case. It would be a surprise to no one if the city was discovered and so the people lived in a constant fear.

Botan Finished kicking out everyone and was now busy putting away chairs and cleaning up messes and staking chairs…

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Little did she know, she was being watched through the window. A Demon of short stature and green scaly skin smiled and hissed in happiness. He had found the last survivor. The only one that got away from the blast, "Masster will be proud of me nowsss." He hissed and stood his ground waiting for the right time to strike.


	3. Chapter Drei

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**Chapter Drei**

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The crash came so suddenly followed by screams and bellows. Botan shot up in her bed, had the dark lord found the city? Had they come to take people away? Botan had no idea, all she knew what that she had to hide or run. Her body wouldn't work, she was to enthralled in fear that she could not move.

Then she heard people calling fire and could smell the smoke in the air. Who would start a fire? The lord wanted the people for the army; he wouldn't burn everything to the ground? Would he?

A frantic knocking could be heard outside her door, and an eerie clawing sound from the neighboring doors. She walked silently to her door; she would have to get out sooner or later as she saw the red flame creep up to her window.

"What happened?" called someone running in the hall

"Some guys tossed a light bottle in here." Someone else yelled then the voices stopped with a scream both dark and bitter.

Botan shook in fear; someone on the outside of her door was killing people. She was scared and backed up to her window. The flames pushed her window in, a rain of fiery glazed glass showered down on her. "Oh no" she discovered that her one escape was blocked. The smoke then came in, taking up every inch of air.

Botan covered her mouth and muffled her cough but if she didn't get out soon she would lose air and faint. After that then, well she didn't want to think of what would happen then.

She looked at her door maybe the killer had passed? She was about to take the exit until she saw the shadow under the door assuming it was the killer. 'What now?' she thought as her air was sucked from her by more flames entering her room. 'This is how it ends' she thought and collapsed, falling to the floor, blissfully unaware that the flames were almost on top of her.

**---**

The red head woke up I little before the shattering of the glass having had a promotion in his dream. He looked over at the other and shook his head; his friend could sleep through anything. The redhead shook his friend as the fire danced below. "Wake up."

The other flinched but did not wake, that's when the redhead saw the beer bottle on the floor. Something told him that it would work so he held the empty bottle to the other's nose and he shot right up. "What? What happened?" He sniffed the air, "is that smoke?" the other called and the redhead nodded.

"We have to get out of here."

**---**

The dark stranger was in his room watching the whole thing unfold. A Demon of a minor class lit the bottle and through it into the inn, unfortunately the bar was drenched in alcohol. He stood up and walked to his door to leave when he heard a thumping sound come from the room across for his.

Peeping his head out he saw the faces of the carrot top, the redhead and the other. They all seemed to be looking at the door in front of the dark strangers', the one that read Innkeeper's assistant's room.

"Dude is that the fidgety girl from the bar? The one that got us our drinks?" The other asked and the redhead nodded. Then the redhead gasped as he saw the red hue from the flame under the door.

Before he could get to the room and save the bar keeper's assistant, a fiery board from the roof fell, a wall of fire cut them off from her. The carrot top was also blocked off from the fall of the roof. She had no hope left and the three boys felt bad but they had to get out.

The carrot top took the steps to the back entrance and walked to the front of the inn where he met with the redhead and the other. Where had the dark stranger gone? And who had started this fire? There was no sign of the lord, so it wasn't the army… The three stood next to each other along with a few onlookers and watched…

**---**

He shook her gently. She was out cold; he figured the smoke got to her so the Dark stranger picked her up and walked through the flames as if they were nothing. He carried her out to the front of the building and brought her to a clearing and let her rest.

The other three watch the burning building a bit longer before turning their attention to Botan. She was not breathing. The redhead laid his head on her chest, her heart was slowly stopping so he preformed mouth to mouth and she coughed and began breathing though she did not open her eyes.

"Well that when farley well." The redhead said, "considering."

"Hey well who was the moron who started this fire?" the other asked

"Yeah, I mean, its almost like they were trying to kill someone. Who were they after?" Carrot top spoke and the other two looked at him, "what? It's a fair question."

"Yeah well, whoever did it was, killed almost everyone." The other said then looked over at the dark stranger, "so who are you?"

"Hn. No one." He said

"Ohh, the short one thinks he is so mysterious." The carrot headed fool said.

**---**

A few hours later Botan woke to the smell of ash and smoke. She sat up slowly to take in her surroundings. The city was still standing. She sighed in relief, but that soon was taken from her as her eyes met the wood, glass, and ash that was now her inn. She shot up and ran to the pile of rubble and Cried.

"Hn. What to you have left now, Onna?" the dark stranger spoke from behind her and she turned to meet him.

"Nothing. My home, my Life…" She paused "it's gone, everything, the only thing I had left. What do I do now?" she asked no one

"You could come with us." Came the smooth voice of the redhead.


	4. Chapter Vier

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Chapter Vier

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Botan spent hours digging through the debris of her former home in search of something, she should never have taken it off. He told her to take care of it and she failed to do so. She clawed and dug through the sizzling wood, her hands burning and bleeding from red splinters in the wood.

The group of four newly acquainted boys stood behind her, watching her, there was nothing they could do but watch. "Wow, in a matter of moments the inn went down." The other said

"I wonder who would do this?" the redhead asked looking around, seemingly for clues. "There had to be a reason why they chose this place and not any other. Someone of high importance must have been inside."

"Like a famous person?" The Carrot top asked.

"Hn. You really are stupid aren't you?" the dark stranger teased but grew serious when his senses picked up something. "Hn," He looked back at the Botan, "Onna, get up and answer are you coming with us of not?"

"Not, yet, I have to find it, it has to be here." Botan frantically dug, tears stinging her eyes. Then she saw it and reached her hand to grab it just as someone plucked her from the remains of the inn. She looked up and saw the eyes of the Dark Stranger. "Hey what the heck?"

The redhead sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose and backed up, "Perhaps we should get out of here, it seems the one who started this fire did not kill whom he wanted to kill." The two boys next to the redhead looked at him and nodded as they ran through the dusty city; the dark Stranger not too far behind with Botan in his arms.

The soon came to a stop when they felt the presents of the being dissipate with distance, what ever it was, it was not following them.

"Okay this is just freaky. First I wake up one day and I can't remember who I am, then I find an Inn with hot girls and the next thing I know it burns down to the ground…" The carrot topped boy exclaimed dramatically before being cut off by the other.

"Wait, you said you woke up not knowing who you are?" He asked rhetorically, "The same thing happened to me."

"Hm, to me as well." The redhead added.

"Hn." The dark stranger spoke the same words as he put Botan down. "So none of us know who we are, and we all happened to meet at the same inn? Meet this same girl and survived the same fire?"

"Yes, it does seem a bit odd. More than just a coincidence."

Botan looked up in shock; maybe they were whom she had first thought they were. Maybe there was still a chance to save the world and make things better.

"What was it that you had to save back there anyway?" The other asked Botan. She opened her hand and smiled. A blue pacifier on a silver chain lay in the palm of her hand. "A pacifier?" The other raised one eyebrow.

"Yes. It was entrusted to me by a friend." She said putting it on.

"Back to this test of fate we have now found ourselves in." the redhead cut in once more, "lets see if our reasons for meeting at this inn match up." He said "I had a dream and inn it was the inn. Four shadows darkened the corner."

"I had that same dream." The carrot top said as the other two nodded. Now it was more than just a coincidence, this was something bigger something out of their control. "What does this mean?"

"I am not sure, but there is a reason we all met up." The redhead said then all eyes were on Botan. She flinched and giggled in nervousness.

"Eheh, what?" she shivered, her eyes passing over theirs. "You think I have something to do with this?"

"There is something oddly familiar about you. What is it?" The redhead asked himself, "Tell me, is there anyone who might be after you?"

"N-no not that I know of,"

"Wait, earlier you called me Kurama. Could it be that you know who we are?" he asked and this time all eyes were bearing down on her.

"Huh? Me?" she gulped

"Hn, Onna if you Know, Then Tell Us." The dark Stranger urged her forcibly with his voice.

"Yeah, Please" the carrot top added in a nice tone. "I am tired of not knowing."

"Oh, But you might not believe me if I told you, and I could be wrong." Botan looked down finding sudden interest in the dust-covered ground. "It's all my fault you are like this." she frowned

"Come on, you have to, we deserve to know who we are." The other said almost begging.

"Okay, but not here." She said looking around a bit paranoid. "Lets go somewhere less…crowded" She looked up.

"The surface?! Are you insane? If we go up there we will have to face a whole army." The orange-headed teen said.

"Its okay, I know a place were, just trust me and come on." Botan ran off to the exit of the city, checking for the army. No sign of them. She pushed open the doorway and the boys followed eager to find out their pasts. Botan led them to the park of laughing children and pulled them into a small cavern beneath the slide.

"Whoa, this place is creepy." The orange head said, "the sounds of ghost children." He shivered

"Okay, no one will find us here." Botan said sitting down forming a circle with the other four. "The story a am about to tell you will change everything." She said, "First off, I am Botan. And your names are: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei." She pointed to each one in turn as they came in order from left to right.


	5. Chapter Fünf

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Chapter Fünf

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**A WEEK EARLIER**

"Look this guy will be no big deal." Yusuke arrogantly said to Kuwabara who was worrying about him and the fate of the world.

"Yeah but…" He started but Yusuke would have none of it so he walked away. "I just have a bad feeling about this," He sighed and turned back to the temple steps and looked at the top to find Kurama.

"Don't worry Kuwabara, he will come around. Even Yusuke knows when he needs to train. He just needs some time. Come inside now if you want my help."

Kuwabara Nodded, "Yeah! This just means I will be stronger than him because I spent more time training than he did." He ran up the steps and into the temple.

**--------------------**

She stood at the edge of a lake tossing rocks that caused ripples to echo through the cool spring water. She sighed as she waited for him; He told her that he had something to tell her. She had no clue why but she thought nothing of it. They had become closer somehow and he would talk to her about everything.

"Oh where is he?" She asked impatiently then she fell a presence behind her and carefully turned to see Hiei standing there. "Oh Hiei it's just you." She said

"Hn. Oh Just me, so I don't scare you anymore, I will have to fix that." he said a little hurt that his fear factor was no longer applicable to her.

"What did you want to talk to me about? Are you feeling okay?" she gasped, "is Yukina okay? Did something happen? What did Kuwabara do this time? Was it…" She was cut off when Hiei covered her mouth with a strong hand.

"Will you let me speak Baka." He asked and he only took his hand back when she nodded. "I wanted to tell you…"

**----------------------**

"It would be saver if you just stayed at the temple with the others." Yusuke tried reasoning with Keiko.

"Okay, fine. At least you were honest about where you are going to be. Just be careful." Keiko said.

"When am I never careful?" He smiled cutely but he got no response from her so his face soon turned serious. "I will." He smiled bringing her into a hug.

"Good." She hugged him back then let go, "Now you go kick some demon Ass."

Yusuke laughed, "I think a am rubbing off on you."

**-------------------**

"Come at me again Kuwabara," Kurama urged.

"Oh like I am going to fall for that one again." Kuwabara said swinging his double swords around to look cool which was a bad move on his part for Kurama found an in and Snapped the Rose whip at his legs bringing him to the ground as the whip wrapped around his ankles.

"Well Kuwabara…"

"Shut up." He sneered as he stood back up.

**----------------**

"And that is what?" Botan asked, "Hiei you know you can tell me anything." She ducked under him and looks up into his eyes as he hid behind his hair.

"Hn. Not this." he said, "it's new to me."

Botan gasped, "Did you eat ningen food?"

Hiei shook his head his tolerance a short fuse as he grabbed her by the arms and stood her still. "Will you let me speak please?" he asked fighting to hide his irritation

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry." She frowned and waited.

"Botan." Hiei breathed and the way he said it took her breath away. He said it with love with care. "I…Well the world might end this time. And I want… I want to tell you that I will be there for you I-if it does and even if it doesn't." he finished and they stood speechless for moments.

**--------------**

"Get up Kuwabara." Yusuke bellowed as he entered the room with Kurama and Kuwabara who was again taken down by Kurama.

"Hello Yusuke." Kurama said smiling.

"Yeah. So did you make sure the girls would stay here while we are gone?"

"Yeah," Kuwabara answered for Kurama. "I am just glad you came Urameshi. I thought you would ditch out on us."

"Riiiight! Like you did when you went to that Pop concert?" he smirked

"Shut Up Urameshi!" Kuwabara stood up ready to defend his band's Honor.

**-------------------------**

Botan was finally pulled from stupor as she blinked, "Wh-What are you saying Hiei?"

"Onna, you know what I am saying. Just remember it." He said and flitted away

Botan shook her head, "Huh. Why was Hiei? Does he?" Botan shrugged as he pocket gave a ring. She opened it and pulled out her Communication mirror and opened it to reveal Koenma on the other.

"Botan I need you to come here as fast as you can. I have a mission for you." He said and hung up on her. Botan took off with haste reaching the palace in moments.

"Koenma-sama?" Botan called walking into his office, there on the desk she saw his pacifier on a silver chain. "Where are you?"

"Here Botan." he said and she turned to see him in his teenage form, "I need you to take care of that pacifier."

"But, I don't understand." She said, "Why, what's going to happen?"

"I just don't want it to get stolen, and if it is with you it wont be. Okay." he said walking to the desk and pulling it up to put it around her neck. "It will take your spirit power from you. But when and_ if_ you really need it, you will get it back when you call upon the powers of the pacifier. Okay." So you will have to remain a human and you can't fly, you are just a human, got it. This way…He wont find it." Koenma said, "now go, get as far away from here as you can."


	6. Chapter Sechs

Star: To Suma goddess of darkness, of course you can. If you let me read it. I don't mind, actually I am flattered that you were inspired by my crappy writing.

And to all my other reviewer's especially Alex. Thank you for taking time to read my crappy work. And on that note I will write another chapter. And Bare with me Hiei is OCC. Actually scratch that, he is as he should be, I mean how does anyone really know who he will act, right.

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**Chapter Sechs**

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**Still A Week Earlier, the day of the "insolent"**

Botan placed the pacifier in her pocket for Koenma had told her not to put it on until she was safe. She landed her oar at the front of her apartment complex and walked in. 'I wonder what is going on, Koenma would never do something like this.' She walked on to her apartment and opened the door walking in and sat on her couch as she pulled out the pacifier and looked at it.

Her women's intuition was telling her something. Telling her to keep the guys with her and not let them go. Telling her, like a whisper in the wind that she would be too late if she waited. She pushed her skepticism aside and looked back down at her charge.

"Well I guess…." She picked it up and put it on and when she did she began to feel Lightheaded, it came in a rush, a mix of fire and ice running up and down her veins. She shivered as her spirit energy was sucked from her and transported to the pacifier's core. It was a good thing she was sitting down because she felt weak and sick. She was Human.

From the corned over her living room, crimson eyes watched as she did this. Hiei walked forward and peered at her. Her eyes were closed and she was barely conscious and her forehead glistened with sheen of sweat. Hiei set the back of his right hand to it and felt the heat of her body rise. "Onna?" Hiei grew worried so he took her to her bed and tucked her in then pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

**---**

Koenma walked into the temple looked at Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama who had finished training and were now spending their last moments before the fight with the girls. "Have any of you seen Botan?"

"Regrettably no." Kurama answered for all walking from the group and to the porch outside over looking the forest.

"Good." Koenma said

"What? What's wrong with you?" Kuwabara asked his sense of unity shattered by the fear that Koenma didn't care about Botan's wellness.

"Don't worry this just means that she is carrying out her mission." He said looking away as the sky and air became quiet.

"That's unsettling?" Kurama muttered from the outside

Yusuke nodded than took a closer look at Koenma, "where is your pacifier? You start teething?" Yusuke teased.

Koenma's face dropped and he shook his head with nothing to say. He walked into the temple and had a private meeting with Genkai.

"Where the heck is shorty? That stupid demon could be waiting for us now." Kuwabara said, "How did we get into the mess anyway?"

"Shut up Kuwabara." Yusuke said, "Hiei will show up, lets just go. Koenma are you coming?!" Yusuke yelled slightly irritated but the silence of the world.

**---**

Botan peeled her eyes open and sat up, seeing Hiei next to her she gasped, " Hiei? Ugh…" She fell back onto her pillow, "What happened?" she asked bringing the back of her hand to her forehead

"Hn. you put on the pacifier and you got sick." He said as if it made sense.

"Oh Yeah. Koenma! Wait Hiei, Something bad is going to happen?" tears filled her eyes and she sat up once more with worry drenching her soul like a rain cloud that never wanted to dissipate.

"Hush, now, don't you cry. Everything will be alright." He said sitting next to her and pulling her head into his lap, His cold outer layer momentarily hidden.

"Hiei? Are you feeling okay?" She whispered up at him as her face flushed from the way he was holding her and they way he was breathing and the rhythmic beating of his heart.

"Hn, Baka. I am fine." He said, he didn't thing there would be anything wrong with showing her his soft side. I side that longed to be free and could be with her. "Close your eyes and drift in dream." He said

"But…" She stopped when he shook his head.

"Rest in peace. When you wake up everything will be better." He said pulling her closer as she closed her eyes.

"Why are you being so nice to me, Hiei?" she asked in a whisper as if they were the only ones in the world. In his arms like that, she was drifting on an island in a void of space where nothing mattered but the person, Demon, she was with.

"Botan, Every day you've given me light, there's one thing that you've shown me…" he stopped talking and looked away, he couldn't finish what he had to say.

"What?" she whispered

"Shhh, Just rest okay." he said and held her till she fell into a deep sleep. He then looked down at her slipping a ring onto her finger; it was a silver band with a Black Hiruseki stone in the center. He laid her back down and vanished, never knowing that it would be the last time her would see her.

Damn his tender heart, he had gotten close to her, though they were opposites he could not help but feel a small similarity to her. It didn't matter; he was okay with it. He finally had someone he could comfortably open up to.

**---**

And there they were the group of five, Standing before a huge ring that sat in the middle of the forest. It was a battle for Earth as usual. But something was different; the wind seeped to sing a dark song of woe and worry. It traveled up and down the spines of each boy, One of which was not worried, he, after all knew what was to come.


	7. Chapter Sieben

* * *

**Chapter Sieben** (I know it's German BTW, I am German)

* * *

**Cont. A Week Earlier**

Woman's intuition gave her one more warning as it ran though Botan's body shaking her violently from her sleep. Deep in the pit of her soul she felt a sudden cumbersome sadness. "Hiei?!" She called but he was nowhere to be seen.

The shadows on the wall made by the orange sun suggested the beginning of darkness. Botan got up quickly and felt a sudden wetness on her cheeks. "Why am I crying?" She wiped her tears away and that's when she saw the ring. "What's this?" She looked at it, "Hiei." She breathed then gasped.

Botan Tried to summon her oar but it would not come, she had momentary forgotten the loss of her powers. She thought nothing of it; all she knew was that she had to get to someone, to stop the guys. She needed to be with them. Her legs ran as they took her in the direction of the temple.

The world was quiet, it was unsettling and she ran. Hiei had told her it would all be okay but she was beginning to doubt his words. She had to run faster; her tears still falling unknowingly to her.

Botan ran up the steps of the temple and stopped at the door when she saw Genkai and the other girls sitting around peacefully.

"Botan? What is it? You look a nervous wreck and…why are you crying?" Keiko asked.

"Where is Genkai?" Botan ignored her question, "Please I need to find her."

"Ehem." Genkai cleared her throat, "Behind you." Botan turned around and frowned. Genkai seemed to understand. "I will tell you outside." She turned around nimblely and walked out of the temple leaving the other girls behind.

Botan followed as she violently wiped the tears from her eyes, they would not stop falling. "Please tell me, is there hope for the guys?"

"Botan. What you have to under…" Genkai started

"**NO!** Please tell me the truth?"

"I don't know Botan! Now calm down."

"Then tell me about this 'Awning Cube' like what does it do?" Botan asked

"Botan. Only Koenma knows that. I am sorry." Genkai said and handed her a yellow book with a bookmarker inside. "See you inside." Genkai said and walked back into the temple.

**---**

"Get away from that Cube!" Yusuke yelled as the Dark Lord held the orb up in the air as he stood in the center of the ring, the sun directly above him.

"Shut up, my legacy will be one that will be remembered and it will be written that today on this sunny afternoon that my great rule was accomplished." The Dark Lord said

"Boy you really think highly of yourself." Kuwabara stated as Kurama and Hiei Prepared to fight the dark lord.

The dark Lord looked at them, all five of them, "Do you even know what this Cube does?" he asked glaring at Koenma. "I bet your leader, there, neglected to tell you. For you see there is no way to stop me now."

"What is he talking about, Koenma?" Kurama looked back at the prince.

"Don't listen to him, we do have a chance." Koenma said

"Huh? Fine believe what you want but it seems that none of you know how to control this orb. Allow me to show you." he smiled and a light shot straight up into the air and reached the sun, sucking up the light and the light shot back down and with a prismatic effect it lit the world.

Botan Ran as fast as she could when she saw the nuclear cloud of light as it made a high pitched screeching sound and in moments it was over, in Thirty minutes her world was gone. She then Heard the murderous laughing of the dark Lord as she ran to the ringside. The Lord was gone and so were the others.

"No! Yusuke? Kuwabara? Hiei? Kurama?" Botan walked onto the ring and found nothing of them, "Koenma?" Tears fell once more, "Come on Guys, you did it right? Right," She cried harder, "Ha haha, very funny, you can come out now…" she fell to her knees and cried as she saw pieces of their clothing, nothing was left…………

**A Week Later, (present)**

"And that's it." She said, "I was too late, I couldn't save you?" Botan looked away ashamed.

"Wait? If this is true then, well then how are we alive and what happened to us that could have made us forget?" Yusuke asked

"That's what I would like to know." Kuwabara interjected, "And what did the Cube do?"

Kurama shook his head, "This is just too implausible. There is no way this story is true, I mean you would think that we would have some recollection of what happened?"

"Hn. The red one is right. You" Hiei glared at Botan, "are only making up lies. You…" he was cut off by Kurama, who covered his mouth at the sounds of soldiers walking by.

Botan and the others were still as they walked on and left them. "It's true! I told you, you wouldn't believe me." She said. "But that shouldn't matter, we should try and find a way to stop the Dark Lord and get things back to the way they were…" she pleaded

"Look, As much as I agree that something must be done about this "lord" there is still nothing I can do?" Yusuke said

"Yeah its not like we are strong enough to take on an army." Kuwabara added

"Hn. The stupid one has a point." Hiei said and Kurama nodded.

Botan stood up in anger, "**WHAT!** No, that's not the attitude you guys used to have. You guys were the strongest people…and Demons I knew. And you still are. And I know there is a way to fix things…where are you going?" She asked as all four stood up and crawled out of the cave.

"Demons? Lady, I think you are a little crazy." Yusuke said

"Demons do not exist, Sorry we could not be of any help." Kurama gave a bow and was go with Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Come on I think I know of another inn."

"Hiei? You believe me don't you?" Botan asked hopefully, feeling the ring as is sat on her finger.

"Hn, Baka Onna." He muttered and vanished


	8. Chapter Acht

* * *

**Chapter Acht**

* * *

They did not believe her. Botan sat alone under the slid in utter hopelessness. They were her only hope. And she could do nothing to stop the dark Lord, not with her spirit energy locked up in the pacifier, Koenma had never told her how to get it back out. The rain above her Pelted at the slivery metal of the slide adding a crying sound of metal to the lucent laughter of the Children.

"Onna Come out of here now!" Hiei said. Botan climbed out and looked at him, a smiled tugging at her lips. "Don't get too excited, The others made me come out here and get you, because of the storm."

"But Hiei, Don't you…believe what I told you? Why would I lie about something like this?" Botan pleaded with him. Her innards retching within her, how could she get them to believe her?

"Hn. Come on," he tugged her forward bringing her to the entrance of the city. He then brought her down into the city and to a small house. "Get inside and dry off."

"But…" She was cut off when Yusuke and Kuwabara pulled her into the house. "Hey, now come on! What the h…"

"Botan. Calm down. I turns out that the fire was for you." Kurama said as he walked from a room in the back, He pushed back the door revealing a slimy looking demon that was tied and gagged. "He gave us all the information we needed." Kurama said, " your story as it were, is a true one."

"Wait. Does this mean, that you know who you are now? And we can stop the…"

"Hn, He didn't say that." Hiei said walking into the house the rest of the way and closing the door behind him.

"So you don't remember anything?" She frowned when they shook their heads. "Well Boy's just leave it up to me. I have a plan. The temple should still be up there but…"

"But what?" Yusuke asked.

"You'll see," she frowned, "you will see…" She turned around, "Come on we have to get back to the surface."

"Wait, I think it would be wise if you," Kurama paused to close the door that held the demon. "Dried off a bit and took a nap. It is late."

"We don't…" Botan was about to voice her protest until she got the looks that took her, she would not win if she tried. "Yes, I know you're right."

"Good." Kurama said smiling and walked over to a door next to the captives and opened the door. "Sleep well, we will be out here if you should need anything." Kurama said and watched as she walked in sighing in weariness.

"Good-night." Botan said and closed the door behind her.

"Okay, so what did that demon have to say now?" Kuwabara asked

"He was reluctant to talk." Kurama admitted, "I got him to confirm Botan's story, as you know, but he doesn't seem to remember how we lost our memories or even what the Awning cube does."

"Well then I think it is time I stepped in." Hiei said darkly.

"Eheh, I don't think that is such a good idea, Hiei you will probably kill him." Kuwabara said shakily.

"Hn, so."

"No, I think we should just rest for now, that demon isn't going anywhere and we haven't been to sleep in almost a day." Kurama stated, "Yusuke you and Kuwabara watch out for the demon, Hiei you take the couch and watch over Botan, I will watch the outside." Kurama said

Hiei growled lowly and turned to the door where Botan slept and looked back at the couch taking a seat, and just watched the night air in the room grow darker as the fire in the fireplace slowly died, until he too slowly feel into a state of sleep.

**Two hours later**

Botan's mind raced with the thoughts of Hiei and how she saw him last. How he drew her to him. Then she sat up with a start upon realizing that, if Hiei didn't remember himself, then how could he possibly remember loving her?

She looked down at the Hiruseki stone on the ring around her finger. "I'm I that forgettable?" She cried to herself. "Was this some kind of sick joke, Koenma?"

Hiei bound up and opened her door seeing, Botan's sleeping form sitting up with glistening tears making rivers down her face. "Onna?" Hiei walked over to her and shook her but still she remained in her mind of sleep. He then shrugged and turned to leave but Botan pulled him back.

In her minds eye she saw Him sitting next to her in her dreamland. The strange thing was, was that she felt him, his warmth and his heart; she could feel and hear him. She spoke to him in her dream, not realizing that she spoke to him in the real world. "Why, did you leave me?"

"Excuse me?" Hiei flinched as she pulled him down next to her and hugged him.

"You said it would all be alright, Hiei, but now you…you don't even remember me." He said crying deeper. "How can it be okay?"

"What are you talking about." He said pulling away, an unsuccessful attempt as she held him tighter. "Let go." Botan finally let go and fell back down unter her pillow sleeping soundly. Hiei sighed and tucked her in then left the room. "Baka." He whispered.


	9. Chapter Neun

**

* * *

**

Chapter Neun

* * *

She woke to the sound of whispers, soft ones that hugged her ears. It was soothing and yet urgent. Botan Hesitantly opened her eyes in search of the voiced whisper.

Kurama's emerald Eyes glistened in the candlelight, the only light that could be found save for the underground street lamps. Botan leisurely sat up letting her thin cover fall to the bed.

"MMM, Kurama?" She Yawned, "What's wrong?"

"This." Kurama held up a small flyer with her picture on it. "It seems someone is putting these posters everywhere in the hopes that someone will turn you in. In exchange for bringing you to them, the reward is freedom. The Whole city is looking for you." Kurama said, "we have to get out of here before someone finds you."

Botan shivered in fear of is words," But Why? Why would they be after me? I have done nothing wrong."

"I am not sure why they are after you but we have to leave." Kurama said pulling her to her feet. She staggered into his arms, not yet used to the feel of the ground. Kurama thought nothing of it as he led Botan out the door where she saw the faces of Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei. Yusuke And Kuwabara looked very tired while Hiei stood off to the side, his face showing no expression.

"It is clear?" Kurama asked anyone who happened to know.

"Yeah, But we have to hurry I think the mod will be back." Yusuke answered the open question that hung in the air.

"Hey Guys, where will we go?" Kuwabara asked

"To the surface, The temple Botan mentioned earlier. Correct?" Kurama looked down at her and she nodded.

"Y-yes," She smiled and pulled away from Kurama and walked to the door. " Well what are we waiting for everybody?" Botan beamed and exited the house. The boys felt a little refreshed by her bubbly air and followed her out.

It was raining again, the sun hadn't been out in days and the sky was still the same depression blue with just a blush of fire. Botan began to wonder if she would ever see the baby blues or whites of the ski she once knew.

Sighing and groaning most of the way to the temple as she led them, avoiding the army when needed, "Okay not much farther now, just right around this corner." She spoke and they rounded the corner to see the many, Many, Steps to the top. Yusuke frowned upon seeing them but climbed with the others. Something in his mind flinched as they made there way past two large trees with ward stickers on them and a long banner across the top.

"Man, this place is creepy." Kuwabara said, felling the need to talk; then stopped as Botan did, "what is it?" he asked her

"When we get to the top you may not like what you see, it may be painful. And when you remember yourself that pain will increase tenfold. " She warned.

Kurama places a reassuring hand on her shoulder and edged her forward. She nodded and walked on, leading them to the top.

There, beneath the cherry trees were there lonely graves. The blossoms danced to the ground twirling like little girls in fluffy dresses.

The boys looked at the makeshift graves and read the names that where chucked into the wood-made, headstones" Yukina, Keiko, Shizuru.

"Botan? Who were they?" Yusuke asked and her mouth dropped to a low frown.

"They were the girls in my story…after I went to warn you…I walked back here and I found…" She paused and sobbed lightly, "I buried them as best I could."

"Yes, But…" Yusuke wanted to ask who they were to him, to them but paused as she hugged him." Hey, it's okay," said as he held her.

"Yes," she lied knowing they would feel differently when they found out whom they girls were and how important they were to them. "You deserve to know who they are… I just can't right now." She said.

"Nah, it's okay, Botan." Kuwabara flashed a stupid grin in an attempt to cheer her up. It wasn't a wasted attempt as she snickered.

Yusuke walked up to the Grave that read Keiko and traced the name lightly.

"Oh Yusuke." Botan uttered, "I'm sorry."

"Hmm? For what?" he asked looking back at her. "Okay, you brought us here to show us something that might help us remember."

"Oh yes, follow me." Botan lead them in and watched as a slight recognition returned to their eyes,

"There is something about this place that…" Kurama spoke and paused as he came to a stop before a room. In the middle of the room, in a glass case, was a red rose.

"Yes I found your Rose, Kurama, and Your sword, Hiei. I put them each in your rooms. I figured that bringing in your rooms might help you remember. Maybe looking at some of your own stuff…would jog something." Kurama nodded and walked in closing the door behind him.

"Hn. Onna if this doesn't work and we cant remember then I will not be helping your cause." Hiei said walking to the door that Botan Pointed at.

Hours had past as the sky turned from one dark blue to the next. Botan Busied herself with making dinner for the boys. She found herself wondering if her plan would work and hoped to god they would not be discovered.


	10. Chapter Zehn

**

* * *

**

Chapter Zehn

* * *

Botan waited jadedly in the kitchen, dinner went unheeded by the boys. Botan felt lonely but hopeful taking the hours that past by, a sign that the boys were on the road to rediscovery.

Her ears began to ring; it wasn't the type of ringing to be heard on a phone or a doorbell but a silvery whistle. The beauty of the chime danced with her eyelashes lulling her to close her eyes.

She had to find the source of the echoed shadow of the sound so Botan opened her eyes and began listening. The ringing was soft and swift causing invisible waves of beauty to vibrate through the air.

Following her ears, Botan was lead through the hallway and to a door. Hiei's door. She crept toward it and peeked in through a small crack in the door and saw him. Botan Pushed the door open lightly to see more of him without being noticed and gasped at the sight before her.

Hiei swung his sword; Cutting through the wind, Blood of clear air coated the sharp blade causing the whistle. Botan followed his swift dance with death with her bright magenta eyes.

Never had she seen such a beautiful dance of poise, balance and agility. His body was flawless as he weaved with his Katana in hand. His eyes were closed as if he were fighting invisible enemies, his mind lost in a haze of Memories.

"Hiei." Botan breathed as she reluctantly ripped her eyes away from his Ballet of shadows. Shadows Botan wished he didn't have to find again. She never knew what kind of pain he had been through but she knew that it must have been very painful. And not long from now he would find that his sister, Yukina, was dead.

**A Week Earlier**

Botan ran as fast as she could with the only thing she could find of the boys. Tears stung her eyes once more. How would she tell the girls that their loved ones had died in the fight? How could she tell them that she was the one who could have saved them but failed because she just wasn't fast enough? They would never understand, but she had to try.

She came to a stop, a sudden Aura of shivers ran through her body: another warning of danger. "What now?" Botan ran up the steps of the temple and paused. It was too quiet. Then she saw him, a tall dark man with pitch black sleek hair and deep violet eyes, he was no taller than Yusuke but was as built like Kurama. He was strikingly handsome, though Botan could tell he was really and ugly soul.

"Something's not right, I can feel it. What was he doing at the temple?" Botan asked herself aloud but gasped as her eyes ran down his cloaked body and to his hands. He held a long knife that was drenched in blood. Blood?!!?!?

No. Botan Ran into the trees as he came closer to her he paused as he looked around for a presents he knew was there. From the brush Botan held her breath and closed her eyes.

"One more to go. I will find that last survivor " He said and walked down the steps of the temple and left.

Botan's eyes widened, who was the dark lord looking for? Botan shook her head ignoring it and turned her attention back to the temple. The girls.

**A Week Later (The Present)**

Botan gasped and flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder breaking her away from her memory. "Wha!"

"Whoa, Botan, its just me? Are you okay? What's Hiei doing?" Yusuke asked "or do you have a little crush on him?"

"Yusuke?! You know I do not have a crush on Hiei." She stood up and walked back to the kitchen and he followed her. "What are you following me for?"

Yusuke took a step back and frowned, "Well I thought you would be happy to see that I got my memory back." He turned and closed one eye awaiting her reaction.

"You Did?!?!?" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I knew it would work, I just knew it would." She squeezed him tighter.

"Ugh, B-Botan let me go, I cant breath." Yusuke turned in her arms and puffed in air only to release it upon seeing her tears. "Hey what's wrong?" He asked

"I thought, I would never see you again." she hugged him, lightly this time. "I missed the four of you something terrible.

"Hey nothing could keep up down, remember that?" He said and she nodded, "Yeah, so stop crying okay." he smiled and made her face him, "So what we got to eat?"

Botan smiled and bound off to the kitchen to reheat the meal she had made earlier. "You just sit down and I will get it for you okay?"

Yusuke sat down in one of the ten chairs and waited, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, "I could get used to this." all of a sudden Yusuke was looking up at the ceiling and was hearing a ragged laugh.

"Hey, Urameshi, that's what you get for not sitting in your chair right." Kuwabara said, "it makes it easy for someone to knock you over." He laughed

Yusuke Quickly stood up, flushed with anger and embarrassment, "Kuwabara!" Yusuke threatened to chase his best friend.

"Now Boys, come on now, you just got your memories back, you don't need them knocked out of you again." Botan came in and handed Yusuke and Kuwabara a plate, she had fixed him one when she first heard his voice.

"Thanks Botan." Kuwabara said taking his plate from her and sitting to the left of Yusuke. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No, I already eat." She lied as her eyes slid to the hall that still held Hiei and Kurama and sighed,

"Hey don't worry about them, they will get their memories back, remember that they have harder memories than we do so it will take them a little more time." Yusuke said and took a bit of his rice ball getting lost in his meal.

"Yeah, I know, you're right. I just hope they will be ready to accept the truth and be the same. It did take them years to suppress those memories in the first place." Botan said taking on of Kuwabara's rice balls as he offered her one.


	11. Chapter Elf

* * *

**Chapter Elf**

* * *

After dinner everything seemed a bit melancholy. Botan sat in a chair facing Yusuke and Kuwabara who were sitting on the loveseat. No one dared utter a word about the graves outside, though Botan knew they would want to know sooner or later.

She knew from experience what missing people she thought dead felt like and could only imagine the pain of knowing they were. She figured that they hadn't asked her yet either because they weren't ready to learn the truth of it or they knew the truth and the shock of it hadn't hit them yet, she knew it to be the latter.

The clock ticked and tocked away the time that they would never get back as the three waited Hiei and Kurama to emerge from their rooms, hoping that they would gather their complex memories.

**-**

Gripping his sword tightly as if for dear life; the strain of his past shaping him into what he what he was and knew. Trust. How many had he trusted and of those trusted, how many were true? He flinched as no answer came; No one was true to the trust he had given, No one…But Visions. Visions of something, of the true answer filled his head.

Maze castle and the Gate of betrayal, Yusuke had trusted him to pull the switch thus saving them all. Kurama who had trusted him all along and Kuwabara, he had to admit had trusted him, somewhere deep with in. Lastly, there was Botan, seeing enough of him to see the good in him and still knew the fear she should feel.

In a moment Hiei's sword was on the ground as he let it slip from his fingers. The memories faded from his mind. In the next instant he was back in his room looking at his empty surroundings. The he heard a simple knock on his door, followed by a voice.

"Hiei are you all right?' Kurama's soothing voice drifted through the keyhole. Kurama pushed open the door seeing Hiei standing there just looking at his hands. "So I see you got your memory back as well." Hiei nodded as his gaze met the fox's

Botan walked into the hall upon hearing the commotion and Smiled to see the two boys standing in the hall. "Hiei, Kurama!" She exclaimed running up to them, hugging them tightly before dragging them to the living room. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?

"No thank you Botan." Kurama smiled and looked over at Hiei who shook his head no. Botan frowned, she wanted them to eat, in her little way it would help her know if they were really alive and not really part of her imagination.

"Hey Guys." Yusuke sat up jadedly and greeted them. Then the room became still again, and Botan's smile faded as she felt their gazes again. It was time for her to tell them. The shock of the truth would not hit them until they knew what happened, she did not need to be told to explain.

**A Week Earlier**

…Botan Wandered back slowly to the temple and froze as she saw the fresh blood trail, Botan Knew already what it was, The puzzle was not the issue, The issue was whether or not she choose to believe it or not. To take those few steps inside.

She couldn't as she walked into the temple. The smell of blood stained the air with dark fumes of invisible death.

Turning the corner to the living room she found them: innocent Yukina face down on the ground next to Keiko and Shizuru who were in the same state. A pool of their Blood rivered into a small lake around them.

**A week later (present)**

"So he killed them. I lost everyone that day." Botan finished, "and you lost the ones that meant to most to you."

The silence was sickening and smelled of tears that would not fall. A tsunami of emotions swept through their bodies and any happiness that had resided in them was now gone, dead and out to sea.

"No." Yusuke said bluntly in a tone that told everyone that he did not want to believe the truth; he wanted to think that Keiko was alive and waiting for him to save her, save her just in time life usual. That was how it went and he would be damned if it went any other way.

"And What of Genkai?" Kurama asked trying to change the subject,

"She-" Botan Pause, what did happen to Genkai? "I don't know she was not here." With that the sadness and silence reunited and circled around the five of them. Circle, the shape that never ended only went around over and over again.

Soon a mix of Hatred and anger filled the circle and suppressed the sadness. No one wanted to show the pain of their loss show. Botan knew it was thus that allowed the beast of denial grow, swallowing the circle of dark emotions as if it were nothing.

Now that the truth was known, what wound be done? The boys Unknowingly answered their question as they slithered out of the temple and to the forest and meadows in the back. The Sounds of Fighting could be heard. They eave fought with the wind. Fighting seemed to be the only way for them to forget the pain of what they had lost.

Botan never fully understood the relationship two fighters had, but she had see them fight many times and it seemed, to her, that the opponent was the only thing in the world of the fighting, Just two people, Pasts, presents and race all forgotten.

She didn't know how but she knew everything would get better, nowhere to go but up, as it were. Botan walked to the porch and watched each of them train letting all frustration and anger out, She feared that they would need more than air to release it all and soon start on each other, in which case Botan would have to step in. dangerous yes, but not as dangerous as a group of friends who kill each other because they get lost in the heat of battle. "Be strong guys, I know you can," She whispered to them.


	12. Chapter Zwölf

**Chapter Zwölf**

Broken, each one of them was broken hearted, broken souled and Broken minded. Everything they had strived to live for was no longer around and they tortured themselves in the only way they knew how… they fought.

Botan watched her favorite heroes train in the yard into the long hours of the next day. She dozed off a few times before going back into the temple to lie down. Her body would not let her sleep, as she was too afraid that her reality would be a dream.

**-**

Light tremors brought her eyes to a flutter and her mouth to open in a yawn, someone was shaking her, waking her. Her eyes were met by the faded smile of Kurama. "Umm, Kurama…" She said sleepily, "Kurama!" she jumped up, "How are you feeling now? Where are the others?"

"Yusuke and Kuwabara are outside mourning the loss of the girls. Hiei went missing and well, things aren't going so well. Botan." he paused looking at her through serious eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Now that you guys are here, what could be better?"

"Botan, that's not want I mean. I mean it must have been hard for you to be strong through all of that? You must have something to say on this matter? Something to let out." Kurama sat next to her on the couch.

"No, Kurama I'm fine." She smiled fakely and Kurama was no fool, he knew when something troubled his friends. That's when he noticed the ring on her finger. 'Hiei.' He thought. "Botan don't lie to me, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know but, there really isn't anything wrong." Botan smiled

"Well," Kurama stood up dusting he pants, "If you need me, I will be in my room." He said and pulled her up and into a hug, then coolly walked away.

Botan sighed exasperatedly and looked outside, the rain continued to drench the land and the sky was blue with sadness and gray with death. She sighed again and looked out at the forest, where she was sure to find Hiei. Alone. She could not imagine losing a sibling. "Please bring him home." She said sadly.

Kurama frowned and watched her from the doorway before turning and leaving to his room to think of the matter at hand. Mourning was something that could not last long if they were hoping to stop the dark lord.

Botan failed to notice the very watchful and concerned Kurama behind her as she stepped out into the wet world and took a deep breath of air. It was amazing, that one puff of air, and how it could make someone feel so good. But the good feeling was short lived as she found the sadness in her soul. It was catching up with her again, now that she had nothing else to worry about, having the boys around, that is.

The boys were back and, though she knew it was wrong, she felt like the rest was up to them. She was putting her complete faith in them saving her soul and in return she would help them. She didn't know how she would do so but the thought was a start.

Botan looked out into the twilight, it was usually her favorite part of the day for it only lasted five minutes it was rare to catch twilight. It was magical, the way the stars would appear in and instant. But this twilight was maddening. Hiei was still missing, she wanted to share twilight with him, wanted him to take away her pain.

Botan tightened her fist at her side and moved to step away from the Temple but was stopped as Yusuke and Kuwabara looked up at her from the bottom of the steps. "Where are you going?" Yusuke asked

"I was… No where." Botan lied

"Hiei won't be easy to find, why don't you just wait for him to come back, I am sure he will." Yusuke said as if reading her mind.

"I know, you're right. I just wish there was something I could do for you guys. I mean I just couldn't stop him. I was too…" Yusuke brought up a hand to silence her.

"Botan there was nothing you could have done, the only thing you can do now is have faith in us to do the right thing. We will set things right. So Botan, Smile." Yusuke said

"Oh Yusuke." She smiled, the first smile in a weeks time, it felt good to smile. "Thank you." She looked back out at the forest and frowned anew. "Are you sure…"

"Hiei will be fine." Yusuke said walking up the five steps to the top and into the temple.

"Yeah, Botan the shrimp will be fine, he always is. We might not always get along, well we never get along, but I know he cares." Kuwabara added following Yusuke into the temple leaving Botan alone to think.

'But what if he becomes darker, too dark to see his friends, what if her forgets us, what if he forgets me?' Botan thought sadly idly twirling the ring on her finger and continuing her path down the stoop and out to the beginning of the forest. "Hiei." She whispered and walked back to the temple, knowing that she would never find him in the dark.

A cool hand, a warm soul hidden in darkness, covered in pain and drenched in hopelessness. He looked down at her and the ring on her finger. Oh he remembered. All too well did he remember her and how she could make him feel good. But he shook his head, how could he protect Botan if he couldn't even protect his oh flesh and Blood.

Yukina's death shed new light on him. Sooner or later it would be over and he didn't want her to lose her. But…He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers and he slipped the ring off her finger and flitted away. He didn't know what was happening to him but he knew that he could not be seen like that, the others would never understand, Botan would never understand, not even he understood why everything in his life was meant to be… Broken.


	13. Chapter Dreizehn

**Chapter Dreizehn**

Where are they? Can't they save us? I need them, my heroes but where are they? Bubbles of pain and waves of hurt stabbed their souls, they were gone and nothing could be done to bring them back. The saviors needed a hero. They needed hope. Where are they? Can't they save me? Can't they see that the world needs them, my world needs them?

Botan woke with tears rivering down her face. She reached her hands up to wipe them away but when she saw the absence of the ring she cried harder. It was he, he had come to her. Hiei had taken her last hope from her. She knew that as long as she had that ring she had Hiei's love and as long as she had his love she had hope.

Kurama Knocked on her door for he could hear her silent sobs and smell her tears. She had been so strong and he knew it but he also knew that she was in as much, if not more, pain as they. "Botan please may I come in?" he asked and slid the door open when she ignored him.

"Botan!" His eyes widened as he saw her pain written on her face. He walks over to her and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey Kurama." She spoke brokenly

"Botan, What's wrong?" he asked looking at her solemnly

"Hiei." She spoke wiping away her tears violently. "He…" not being able to finish she held up her ring-less hand.

"I see." Kurama slid closer to her and pulled his arms around her. "He is just confused, you should try talking to him. Sometimes you need to be strong toward some people. You know how stubborn Hiei is." Kurama smiled when he heard her giggle in agreement. "We have all been through so much and this might be another, seemingly, impossible mission but as with our other missions, we will get through this." he looked down at his hands,

"I know Kurama but with the deaths…"

"I don't want to say this but we have to let this go. We can't focus like this. We need…sleep." Kurama looked away.

"Oh Kurama." Botan hugged him. "How can we let this go? How can you?" She tried to get him to face her but when she did she saw the farness in his eyes. He wasn't with her anymore. "Kurama? Kurama snap out of it." Botan grabbed his face and shook him lightly, "Please." He was unresponsive. "I know what I have to do. I will save you guys. Then we will be able to save the rest of the world." Botan pulled away from Kurama and left her room.

Outside Botan looked at the graves of her best friends, "Hey guys. I need your help now. Can you believe it…no, I guess not, I always need help." Botan spoke to them as if they were right there in front of her.

Behind Botan stood Yusuke and Kuwabara they looked on as they saw Botan talk to the dead. Soon Kurama and Hiei joined them, watching Botan with curiosity and wonder.

"You see the boys need our help, well my help. Losing you has really made them give up; I have never seen them like this. I guess I don't blame them. I lost someone really close to me too, only the one I lost is still here." Botan fought to hold back her sob, "some how you need to let them know that you want them to save the world, that there is still a reason to live. You would want us to move on and I understand that. They don't." She laughed ironically, "Hard to believe huh? Well I guess I should leave you to rest in peace. Have fun…wherever you are." Botan turned from the graves and gasped.

"You are absolutely right Botan, We were so ready to fight for revenge but when it came down to it, we couldn't, and well I couldn't fight because I believed that there was no reason to fight, nothing to fight for." Yusuke spoke

"Yeah, But there is something to fight for, the world." Kuwabara added.

"You did it Botan." Kurama smiled out at her as if his whole unresponsiveness act was just that, an act.

Botan smiled as Hiei only nodded. "So what do we do now?" Botan asked

"Well Botan lets review what we know so far." Kurama spoke as a drop of rain hit his nose, sliding down to the ground. "Let us get inside first."

**-**

"We know that Botan has the pacifier and Koenma and Genkai have gone missing. The Dark lord is or has recruited more than half the city into his army." Kurama said.

"So all we gotta do is find him and kill him. How hard can that be?" Yusuke jumped in.

"Think about it Detective. He will, first of all, send his army after us, and though I have no doubt that we can face those odds seeing as how they are all human, but we can't kill Humans remember." Hiei said

"Yeah. So we have to free all the enslaved humans first." Botan smiled, "one of us will have to get in there and see how it's done."

"I'll do it." Kuwabara stood up.

"Sit down before you hurt yourself." Yusuke said

"I will. I'm the oldest." He said

"Actually I am." Kurama spoke.

"Yeah but I've lived longer." Kuwabara said

"Hn." Hiei twitched and it took all he had not to rid the world of the carrot top's stupidity. "Let him." Hiei said and all eyes were on him, "What? I just think that if something happens to him, it would be an acceptable loss." He said

"Hiei! That's not nice." Botan yelled, "all four of you are needed but I do think that Kuwabara should be the one."

Yusuke sighed and nodded, "Okay but once you are in you need to tell us everything. And we will help you escape."

"Duh, Urameshi I ain't stupid."

"I beg to differ."

"Shut up shrimp!" Kuwabara exclaimed

Botan smiled. "My boys are back." She said to herself and tried to break the fight. "I know the lords rounds, so if we want him to catch Kuwabara without him thinking it is a setup we need to make it look like Kuwabara wondered out of the Underground city and he needs a disguise,"

"What did you have in mind?" Kurama asked.


	14. Chapter Vierzehn

* * *

**Chapter Vierzehn**

* * *

Kuwabara emerged from his room with a new look, his hair was an orange wave of red fire that was spiked up perfectly and he wore Blue jeans and a blue button up shirt, a chain hung from his belt loops and it clanged when he walked. And as a final touch a silver ring hung from the top of his ear.

"Wow, you clean up nice, Kuwabara." Botan smiled and looked at the boys as they admired her handy work. "So what do you think?" She turned to them.

"That's not Kuwabara." Yusuke spoke obnoxiously and poked him

"Hey watch it Urameshi or I will have to pound you into the ground with the worms 'cause you are one."

Yusuke's face dropped in a bored sort of way, "Nope, that's him."

Kurama and Hiei just ignored their teammates' usual childishness and watched Botan as she tried to stop them from fighting. Kurama meticulously turned to Hiei and bore his gaze down on him.

"What do you want Fox? Stop looking at me like I betrayed you or something." Hiei spoke.

"No, It's not me whom you have betrayed." He said softly with a hint of anger and annoyance in his voice. Then walked up to the other three. "So when you are in Kuwabara, you know what to do?"

"Yeah, of course I know what to do." He smiled with the notion that he was doing something for the honor of the world, "I get caught and see what happens then… um."

Botan sighed and handed him a communication mirror. " The contact us and tell us about the inner workings of his army. Don't let him find this mirror, it's the only way we will be able to save you and the rest of the humans." She warned.

* * *

Kuwabara walked around the empty city, around the death that was once a lively city, where he would engage in fighting with rival gangs and hanging out with his friends… he paused, His friends? The thought to check on his friends had never even crossed his mind. He would have to find out what happened to them; his only hope was that they hadn't been recruited into the army or worse, dead.

Memories flooded his mind, how had he lost everyone without doing a single thing to prevent it from happening? Well now was his chance to make due and redeem himself. This would be his one true test of honor. He did this for everyone.

Kuwabara sighed and began to whistle a bored song but it was quickly cut short when his throat was meet by the silvery sting of a short dagger. "What are you doing out here, Human?" A feminine voice sharply hissed. "You know what happens to lowly Humans when they wonder from their "underground" refuges don't you?" she asked pressing her dagger in a little deeper drawing a thin ooze of blood.

Kuwabara could do nothing but feel a slight shaking in his knees but he willed them to stop. Then he spoke in a soft tone, "I know what you will do. But can I see the face of my deadly assassin?" He spoke in a manner not prone to him, but then he was someone else. She turned him and Kuwabara backed up in shock his back pressed hard against the rough wall of red bricks.

* * *

"Do you think he is okay?" Botan spoke, cutting through the silence that was in the dark room of the temple.

"Yeah, don't worry Botan. Either he is okay… Or dead." Yusuke said shrugging.

"That's not funny." She pouted and Kurama stepped from the wall he had been leaning on and sat next to her.

"He'll be fine." Kurama made a head motion toward the door where Botan found Hiei standing, Looming, glaring off into the darkness as it started to rain again. "Everyone will be fine."

Yusuke arched and eyebrow and looked over at the door then back at Kurama and Botan. With a "Huh?" he shrugged and stood up. " Well that's enough moping for me, I'm going to clear my head."

Botan seemed to ignore Yusuke as she and Kurama shared a silent yet conversational glance. "Y-yeah you are right, Kurama." She stood and crossed the room to the door and stood on the porch placing her hands on the rail she looked out into the nothingness as he did. Suddenly his glare was turned from the rain to the ground.

"Onna." Hiei said in barely a whisper loud enough for her to hear. She turned and looked at him but did not find his eyes.

"Y-Yes?" Botan timidly spoke. "Are you going to be okay Hiei?"

"Hush!" he ordered harshly, "Listen to what I have to say. And do only that." He said and looked up at her with hard eyes causing her to gasp inwardly. "I don't know what you think would have happened when I remembered you, That we would fall in love all over again, or that I would become some sort of "friend" to you. But that's not going to happen. I want you to forget everything about me. Having these memories helped me see that what would have been between us…was a mistake." He said and pulled the ring from his pocket and tossed it out into the rain where it rang softly as it hit the ground repeatedly before coming to rest in a puddle. "That is where we would have ended up." He said and vanished before her very eyes.

Kurama flinched as he watched her heart literally breaking inside of her. He could do nothing about it and it hurt him. Hiei was going to pay for hurting her. Kurama looked away from the scene before him and growled lowly, leaving Botan alone on the porch.

* * *

"Well? What's wrong with you? Never seen a girl before or something?" She asked bitterly.

"You- You're…" Kuwabara stuttered.


	15. Chapter Fünfzehn

**

* * *

**

Chapter Fünfzehn

* * *

"What? You, Stupid Human?" She yelled, quiet annoyed by now and ready and willing to kill.

"But Why?" Kuwabara stuttered still in shock about what he was seeing and blinked repetitively trying to get this nightmare out of his mind's eye. He sweet love on the wrong side.

"By Order of the dark lord…" She pauses noticing that the human wasn't paying any attention to her, " HEY! You. Pay attention. And I don't have to explain my reasons to your kind of filth." She snorted.

"Yu-Yukina."

"Nani? How do you know my name?"

"You were dead, Botan buried you. No, you are here, My love." Kuwabara smiled at her, his Yukina was alive and standing before him. He fought back the tears; he had never thought he would see her again. But there she was, right there in his reach and he wanted to touch her. He took a step toward her but she backed up.

"Ew, Stop! What do you think you are doing?" She asked, "I would never love a human."

"But it's me, Kazuma." He said and wrongly so because what happened next would decide his fate for Yukina gasped and grabbed him knocking him out with a soft icy song and dragged him off.

"So you're one of the boys He's been looking for." She sneered.

* * *

Kuwabara twitched and woke with a start, something inside him felt like a thousand burning needles. He opened his mouth to speak but found he was too weak to tell his lips to move. He could merely hear his voice in his head like an unechoing scream for help. He turned his head from left to right and took note of the metal buckles that held him down on each side.

* * *

"Where is he? Why hasn't he called yet?" Yusuke paced back and forth nervously like a worried mother.

"Don't worry about him Yusuke, I'm sure he just hasn't gotten caught yet.

"Hey, I am not worried about that baka."

"You don't have to lie, we all know you care about him, you're just a big softy on the inside." Botan smiles cutely and looked over at Kurama, who was leaning on a wall very still and quiet. He hadn't said one word since the incident with Hiei. "Hey, Kurama, are you okay?"

"Hn." He looked away from her and growled at the night air and not without reason, for he could sense Hiei before he appeared. Biting back his anger, Kurama regained his composure. "Fine, Botan just thinking about or next step." He lied

"That's good." She smiled and watched as Hiei entered the temple with dark glowing eyes. "H-Hiei." Botan acknowledged.

"Onna." He said and slipped into the darkness of the room, waiting.

* * *

"Relax, this won't hurt, Human." Yukina said and plunged a needle into his arm. The green contents slipped into his body like a thief entering a door, soft and secretly. She smiled when she was finished and pulled the needle out. "All ready to join the army and fight against your friends?" 

Kuwabara whimpered and nodded as his eyes drooped and lost their passionate shine. He went limp after a few seconds. Yukina smiled and ruffled his hair. "Why do I have this soft feeling for you, Human?" she asked the darkness and heard a ringing. "Huh?"

* * *

"YUSUKE, what are you doing?" Botan snatched the communication mirror away from him. 

"I can't wait anymore, he's not calling so I am calling him." Yusuke said and snatched it back.

"Foolish detective." Hiei said

"Give it back!" Botan took it and closed it shoving it into her pocket. "You might have just blown his cover. If they find his mirror then who knows what they will do to him."

* * *

Yukina blinked when the ringing stopped and searched for the object that made the sound. She smiled when she found a compact in Kuwabara's pocket and opened it. "What in the world?" she closed it again when nothing happened and tossed it in the corner and left Kuwabara's room. 

"So we have one of them. This might bode well for our cause." The Dark lord said, "He will lead his friends, one by one, to me and I will have the strongest army and no one will stop me from controlling all of demon and spirit world."

"Yes, Sir." Yukina nodded sadly.

"What is it sweet child?"

"It's just that, I mean you said you found me and the other girls. But I still wonder where I am from. Or who I am." She looked away.

"Shh, all you need to know is that you and the other girls will be safe with me." He pulled her chin up and kissed her softly. "Now run along and get your chores done." Yukina nodded and ran off.


	16. Chapter Sechzehn

**Chapter Sechzehn**

Botan woke with a start and an urge to scream but no sound came, this was all so hopeless and hard. She was slowly losing all hope that everything would be okay, that everything would work out like it always had.

She sat up in bed and looked down at the ring she had fished out of the puddle earlier and sobbed openly. She really did love Hiei and that love she had for him had helped her this far, but now there was nothing. He hated her now.

Botan began to wonder if Hiei would even care if she were gone. If he would come and look for her or leave her to die. She walked to the window and watched as the rain fell and gasped. The silver sheen of a sword rung out as the lightening flashed. Botan quickly put the ring in her pocket and ran out into the field.

"Hiei? What are you doing out here?" She called through the rain but he just ignored her. Botan growled in anger as tears ran down her face freely mixing with the rain. Then she smirked as she got an idea, an answer to her question.

She ran through the rain and right in front of Hiei as he brought his sword down. "Botan!" He paused his attack his eyes wide with fear and hurt but he quickly shook it off. "What the hell do you think you are doing, woman!" he panted and growled.

"I just wanted to tell you…" she paused for a breath as she, too, was panting, "That I Hate you too!" Botan turned to leave but was yanked back forcefully by the wrist and turned. "What?" Botan growled out in anger.

"Shut up." Hiei said and pulled her roughly to him and Pressed his lips hard to hers in a not too friendly kiss then pushed her away slightly. "Next time you jump in my way when I am training I will not stop." He turned and started to walk away slowly

"Hiei, You Asshole! I HATE YOU! I H-ate you!" Botan chanted and fell to her knees and sobbed in her hands "I love you." She whispered to herself.

* * *

The next morning the call came in and Yusuke answered frantically. "Kuwabara? What took you so long, what's going on?" 

"Hey man I have news I don't know if its good but you need to go to the park at sunset, its some sort of secret plan the Dark Lord has. You should be careful though, gotta go." Kuwabara hung up leaving Yusuke in a confused mess.

"Kuwabara! KUWABARA! Get your ass back on the line!" Yusuke yelled at the blank screen.

"I don't think he can hear you detective, Baka." Hiei spat. "Well what did he want?"

"Something about going to the park at sunset." He shrugged.

"That seems a bit strange?" Botan said

"She is right. But it's all we have to go on." Kurama added, "and I think we should go."

"So we are all going then? Don't you think it would be safer to split us up?" Botan asked in fear. "I mean they could be setting Kuwabara up."

"Yeah, and that's why I am going to go alone." Yusuke stood and with his determined and stubborn disposition it was hard to argue with him.

"I don't-" Botan started but stopped sighing sadly "you just better be careful."

"Yeah, don't worry." Yusuke flashed a huge grin but she still frowned, "alright, Kurama you'll come with me."

Kurama nodded slowly, thankful that Yusuke decided to take some precaution. "See Botan, We'll be fine."

* * *

Yusuke Stretched and headed for the door with Kurama. 

"We shouldn't be too long." Kurama smiled sadly and the two were gone.

"Hn." Hiei stood in the dark watching Botan for a time then flitted off into nothingness leaving Botan on the porch in the darkness.

"Ah Urameshi, oh and Kurama, were are Botan and Hiei?" Kuwabara asked

"Dude, Kuwabara are you okay? I think that look changed you." Yusuke said, "Okay so what are we doing here?" he looked around, "find a way to free everyone?"

"Not exactly." Kuwabara said and Kurama got an uneasy feeling about the whole thing. But he felt a sharp pang in his skin, and all over it was as if the rain had become as sharp as a thousand sewing needles. Kurama tried to move, to get away but no matter where he went the rain stabbed at him.

Yusuke was trying his best to ignore the whole thing, and glared questioningly at Kuwabara. "What is this?"

"Just a little rain, ice rain, thanks to the help of someone you know." Kuwabara said and at that moment Yukina stepped out from behind him along with Keiko. And She was his last sight before he fell forward with solid eyes.

Kurama looked over his skin and he was covered in blood, it dripped from him and onto the grass where it melted away. And the taste in his mouth was coppery it was as if he had swallowed pennies but little he could do about it, he closed his eyes to escape the pain and fell into a coma.


	17. Chapter Siebzehn

**Chapter siebzehn

* * *

**

Botan paced back and forth nibbling lightly on her thumbnail worry glazed her features. "Oh…"

"Would you Stop that, woman! You'll cut a hole in the floor." Hiei growled out from the darkness.

"But don't you think they have been gone too long? I mean its not like Kurama to not give us an update." She asked him and started pacing faster.

"If you don't stop that pacing I'll…" He was cut off when she hiccupped and choked out her sobs. "Onna?"

"Lemme alone, you don't care about anything. I used to think that deep down you were like the rest of us, that you wanted to give and have love. You know, Yusuke and Kurama could need our help, but do you care? No." She blinked back her tears and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Hiei asked seemingly unfazed by her previous comment.

"To see if Kurama and Yusuke are okay, where else?"

"You cant!" it came out more like a plea than an order.

* * *

Kurama's deep emerald pools opened slowly, he couldn't see anything, and it was as if his senses had stopped. The sting of what had happened earlier still pricked at his skin and he tried to sit up.

"Shh, don't move any more." Came a soft motherly voice that made him smile. Despite all of his pain and confusion he felt at home, the voice then stroked her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"M-Mother?" Kurama whispered as his eyes closed, he knew he should try and fight this person, he knew his mother was dead so whoever this was… His mind blanked and all he wanted to do was enjoy the moment.

"Yes, my dear Shuichi, everything is okay, I'm here now." She whispered. "Now this is only going to hurt for a moment. Alright?"

All Kurama could do was nod in his lost smiling daze but that soon ended, The needle struck him and his pain returned. "N-No stop!" He whimpered and struggled against his metal binds causing whatever cuts he had on his wrists to open and bleed freely once more. "S-stop." For the first time Kurama felt like begging, felt weak and pitiful then he blacked out as one word slipped from his soft lips, "Please."

* * *

"Why? You can't control me. I am not afraid of you! Not anymore. You do what you like, but I am going to help them." Botan argued and walked out the door.

Hiei didn't know whether to be angry at her tone or to be sad that she thought so lowly of him. "Botan, stop!" Hiei called after her causing her to stop in her tracks. "I'm coming with you."

"Very well. I told you, you could do what you want." She walked on but was pulled to a stop when Hiei tugged on her wrist. "What is it now?"

"I-It's nothing." He let her go and they headed for the park together.

As they walked all that could be heard was the rain and the sound of their shoes on the pavement. Botan shuffled along hurriedly and when she saw the park she felt a moment of hope that they would be there.

Hiei yanked her to a stop, he could smell the blood in the air and feel the cold that lingered there.

"What is it Hiei?" she asked generally scared and worried now. "Do you know what happened?"

"No, but Kurama and Yusuke are not here. "They" got them." Hiei then motioned for her to follow him. "There." He pointed at a few petals that were strewn about on the soggy grass.

"What do we do now?" Botan asked, "I think we really lost this time." She shivered.

"Calm down. First we go back to the temple." He said taking her hand and dragging her off quickly.

* * *

"So you are the spirit detective." The dark lord loomed over Yusuke with cold eyes. "I have a job for you."

"And what might that be?" Yusuke asked and smirked darkly at what his lord was getting at.

"Well it's simple I need you to find that deity, she has what I am looking for, the only thing that can stop me from our glorious rise to power."

"I know were she is hiding."

"As do I, but I cant get in. You will have to lure her out and take her." The lord said.

"I will, master."

"Good. Now be off." The dark lord waved him off and smirked as he turned around looking out a window at his growing army. "Everything is working out so perfectly."

"Master?" Keiko asked shyly "That boy, he seemed so familiar." She looked up at him sadly.

"Well I don't see why he would. The only one you should be concerned with is me." He yanked her by her hair and kissed her roughly.


	18. Chapter Achtzehn

_**Chapter Achtzehn**_

Botan shivered in the cold and waited on the couch, leaning back, she looked up at the ceiling and began to remember better times but they eluded her. This was truly the end. "Hiei?" She looked over at him; "we aren't going to make it through this one, are we?"

"Hn." He replied and took a seat next to her. "Are you giving up?" he smiled darkly "I couldn't wait to see the day when you gave up hope."

"What?" Botan looked more intently at him, "Are you saying…"

"That's exactly what I am saying." He said,_'But it's not as satisfying as I thought it was going to be.'_ He thought.

"You are such a jerk, Hiei. I swear! Well I want to help Yusuke. Kuwabara and Kurama." Botan stood up boldly.

"That's good, just go out there and save them." he said sarcastically, "you know if Yusuke and Kurama couldn't handle it, what makes you think, that someone as weak as you are will save them?" He smirked, "We are all just going to die anyway so just welcome it."

"W-Welcome death?" Botan said.

"That's right."

"What do you mean? We can't do that; the world is depending on us, Hiei! We have to think of a plan." Botan's hope suddenly returned and Hiei smirked inwardly

* * *

'_Wake up! Shuichi you are not so weak as to let this poison run through your veins.'_ Yoko screamed in the back of his mind.

'_I cant.'_ Shuichi replied with a painful inner grown. His head hurt, everything hurt. He still didn't know where he was and the coppery taste of blood was still lingering in the mouth.

"Ah, Kurama I see you are awake, the dark lord is excepting to see you." Yukina chirped and skipped away to get her master.

The dark lord walked in slowly and smirked, "so you are the legendary thief, you don't look like much to me."

"G-go away!"

"So the poison doesn't work on you, well it seems you will need a little more work before you fully join us." He smirked and made his way to Kurama and hovered over him.

"Get away from me, I will not join you." Kurama spoke as angrily as he could.

"Shh, you have no choice. You just need a little motivation."

* * *

"We need to get to Spirit world some how and see if I can use this pacifier."

"How will you get there? You can no longer fly, and you don't know what state it is in. the dark lord could be there."

"Well Hiei I don't know what else to do."

"Hn. He hasn't gotten to demon world yet. And he doesn't have that damn suck toy. He wouldn't dare move without it."

"So then we need to get to demon world and find someone who will help us." Botan smiled

Hiei rolled his eyes, "Well?"

"Lets go!"

* * *

The dark lord brought up a hand and placed his fore and middle finger to his forehead and smirked darkly as Kurama tossed and turned to remove the fingers but little could be done. "Relax Kurama. This is going to be a fun little game."

"Stop!" Kurama growled out in warning when all of a sudden his eyes shut and his mind blacked out.

"What is haunting you? We'll bring that to the surface." He spoke softly to himself then turned to Yukina. "When he stops struggling you give him another dose of the poison and he should be on our side."

"Yes sir." Yukina said softly and her lord left but not before giving her a lustful kiss.

* * *

_"Kurama." Came a seductive voice in the darkness making Kurama cringe in memory. "Hello Beautiful."_

_"Karasu." Kurama breathed in recognition and looked around for him._

_"I know I still haunt your mind, why don't you run? Still not running from things you can't see?" Karasu smirked as he slithered from the darkness and stood before him._

_"What are you doing here?" Kurama growled trying to keep calm._

_"What? You aren't happy to see me?" Karasu skimmed his hands lightly up Kurama's arms and into his hair where it grabbed a fistful and forced Kurama up to meet his gaze. "That's too bad because I have some fun in store for you."_

_Kurama's eyes watered lightly but he blinked back against the pain. "No!

* * *

_

On the outside Kurama struggled to get free his binds becoming tighter and more restricting. Yukina watched in horror at what was happening before her and waited patiently for him to stop.

"Don't touch me, Karasu!" Kurama ordered in his comatose state.


	19. Chapter Neunzehn

_**Chapter Neunzehn**_

Kurama shifted lightly his face coated with sweat and anguish but he wouldn't give in. No he couldn't.

* * *

_Karasu pinned Kurama to a wall and held him there with chains. "Lets just see how good you are at holding out. Hmm." Karasu leaned in close to his captive's ear and whispered, "Watching everyone you love and care for die in front of you." He whispered and licked Kurama's cheek._

_"These little mind games will not work, I know what has happened to all of those people already and where they are." Kurama argued_

_"Haha, well I don't think you do. You might know that your mother is dead but do you know how she died? I don't think you do. But don't worry, love, I will show you."

* * *

_

"Onna would you stop that." Hiei growled it seemed for the billionth time since they had reached Demon world.

"I can't help it, this place is creepy." Botan squealed and Hiei merely rolled his eyes. She screamed again as something brushed up against her. She looked down, "Aww, How cute." She picked up a small green demon with a beautiful flower for hair and little green eyes. "Hiei, look isn't he cute."

Hiei turned to humor her and his eyes went wide. "Put that Down you idiot!" He said but it was too late the little plant demon's fangs grew larger and his eyes turned into little red slits and acid came from his mouth. The demon Jumped on Botan and bit her arm.

Botan screamed and cried in pain and the last thing she could remember seen was Hiei running for her the little demon before she blacked out.

* * *

**…_Shiori peacefully tended to the garden in front of her house and smiled, humming a lively tune. "Oh Shuichi have fun with your little friends today." She smiled._**

**_"Yes mother I will. Try not to stay in the sun too long it is going to be a very hot day today."_**

**_"Oh son, you worry too much about me, I love the sun but don't worry I will be fine."…_**

_Kurama remembered this as the last conversation he had with his mother. He didn't want to see where this was going but Karasu held him tightly making him watch all of it._

_**…Kurama walked down his sidewalk leaving his mother alone, safe at the house never seeing the shadow that hid within the flowers. He vanished.**_

_**Shiori smiled as her son became nothing more than a dot in the distance and smiled. "He is so sweet, how was I blessed with such a son?"**_

_**"Well you can ask god when you see him." A dark voice slithered from the rose bush. "It's time you knew who Your "Shuichi" really is"…**_

_Kurama struggled, "No. Please tell me you didn't tell her." Tears fell from his eyes as he tried his hardest to look away._

_"I didn't tell her anything. I'm dead remember, just watch I am sure you will love this little treat." Karasu smiled sadistically_

_**… "Kurama? A demon? What are you talking about, my son is not a demon." Shiori stuttered stepping back.**_

_**"Oh he is and he was going to leave you the moment he got his strength back, he took his place in your unborn child and he was going to leave you in the dust. You see he doesn't care about anyone but himself."**_

_**"That's not true. It can't be true" Tears fell from her eyes smearing her makeup**_

_**"It is true, he never loved you, he was using you and that is why he is so nice." The dark voice said. "The truth is in his room, go look in the attic."**_

_**Shiori ran upstairs desperate to prove him wrong, to prove that her son was Human and wasn't using her. She pulled open his door and looked up seeing the attic door and pulled the string opening it letting the ladder fall. She said a small prayer and walked up slowly…**_

_Karasu paused the vision for a moment, "You know what's up there, don't you Kurama?"_

_"Stop it." Kurama whispered through gritted teeth_

_"Lets just see what happens when she goes up, lets just see what she finds." He smirked, "Now don't look away this is the best part."_


	20. Chapter Zwanzig

_**Chapter Zwanzig**_

"She's waking up." Came a whispered voice as Botan opened her eyes slowly making out only squiggled figures. "Get her some water."

"Oooh, Wh-Where am I?" Botan groans and held her hand to her head.

"Baka Onna."

"Hiei?" She blinked trying to put the figures into focus. "What happened?"

"You were bitten by an orchid, tricky little critters they are. Bad luck to be running' into on of those… woo."

Botan sat up and finally could see clearly only her head hurt and an awful taste was in her mouth and she smacked trying to get rid of the taste.

"Sorry 'bout that, love, we needed to clam you down so I gave you a tiny swig of alcohol."

"Chu? Jin? Touya?" Botan smiled. "So glad you guys are here, we need help."

Hiei shifted feeling slightly hurt that she wasn't glad he was there, "Hn. They know, I told them."

"So can you guys help us? Please?" Botan begged trying to stand but Touya sat he back down.

"Don't get up yet." He instructed. "And you don't really have to ask if we will help, you know we will." He smiled "tell us the whole story."

* * *

_**… Shiori walked up the steps slowly; the ladder cracked and squeaked in warning as she did so. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light in the room and she heard the sound of something slithering across the floor, the sweet aroma of flowers filled the air and she smiled softly and walked in completely.**_

_**The door slammed shut behind her and a few lunar flowers began to glow; it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. 'Shuichi did all of this?' She wondered and walked in deeper. 'it is true. My son is not my son.' …**_

_"What is the point of this Karasu?" Kurama tried hard to blink back his tears as his heart wrenched._

_"I want to show you what happened to the human you clam to love so much." He whispered. "NOW Watch!"_

_**… Slowly, creeping behind her two vines rolled across the floor and slid over he ankles and she jerked in fear and screamed. "What is this?" The vines climbed up her legs slowly and pricked at her skin roughly becoming tight. "Shuichi! Help me, Please."**_

_**"He won't help you." The owner of the dark voice spoke from the shadows, "he made this plant. It will kill you now, he is killing you."**_

_**"No!" She screamed in pure agony as the vines yanked her to the floor and dragged her into a lush bush of flowers. The sound of screams and splashing blood danced through the house. When it was over all that could be seen was a puddle of blood flowing from the bush. It rivered down and through the cracks of the attic door…**_

_"NO! Mother! Please…" Kurama's eyes were shut tight but the image of his mother's blood and her screams drifted through his mind._

_"I can take this pain away you know. If you just let me. Hmm what do you say, Kurama?"_

_Kurama whimpered and lowered his head nodding slowly. "Please help me."

* * *

_

"They did all that?" Chu jumped

"How, I mean didn't Yusuke try and stop them?" Touya asked

"Well the thing is… he was captured. As was Kuwabara and Kurama."

The boys just stood around unbelieving. Touya took a deep breath and smiled, "We will help you save them and the human world."

"That's right, don't worry lass."

"Too right!" Chu added.

Botan turned to Hiei and beamed, "did you hear that Hiei? They are gonna help us."

"Hn. I am not deaf." Hiei scowled and walked off into the darkness of his homeland.

"Hiei wait." Botan called and jumped up running after him despite Youya's warning about getting up too soon. "H-Hiei?" She found him with his hand placed on the base of a tree. "What are you doing? Why did you leave?"

"See this tree?"

"H-Hai, I do. What about it?"

"This is the tree Yukina carved her name in, that's how I found her the first time." Hiei ran his fingers over the letters of her name.

"O-Oh Hiei." Botan walked up to him and placed her hand over his and caught his gaze and was saddened by what she saw. Pure sadness and pain, his eyes could never hide anything from her. Now wasn't any different.

"When we get there I am killing that dark lord on my own. I don't want you to butt in." Hiei spoke softly to her and she nodded and in a sudden movement her arms were wrapped around his waist and her head was resting on his chest.

"I know what you mean, you won't lose me either." She smiled knowing that when he said not to butt in he was really telling her to be careful and not get hurt. "I love you so much, Hiei."

"I-I love you too." He whispered and wrapped his arms around her resting his head atop of hers and they just stood beneath the tree in the darkness holding on to each other.


	21. Chapter Einundzwanzig

_**Chapter Einundzwanzig**_

Yukina did as she was told and waited for Kurama's whimpering cries and thrashing to stop. She stepped up to his side and held the needle up flicking at it to get the air out and frowned watching his broken form. Tears fell from his closed eyes and his breathing slowed so it was almost as if he wasn't breathing at all.

She held the needle to his arm and closed her eyes driving it into his skin and was shocked to hear… nothing. He accepted it as his fate. Truly this red haired beauty was broken and would never be fixed again.

* * *

Botan Shivered in the darkness and fell limp in Hiei's strong arms. He looked down and smirked softly lifting her off of her feet and carrying her back inside.

"I told her not to get up. Just set her down over there." Touya told Hiei softly and he growled but did as he was asked.

"We need to get more help. If this army is as strong as you say they are." Touya said, "But killing humans in human world is a serious offence."

"As much as I hate to say it, we won't be killing any humans. " Hiei said speaking on behalf of Botan.

"So maybe we should first work on getting Urameshi and the others back." Chu interrupted.

"Well if this one man is behind it then I guess we have to stop him. But how will we find Yusuke and the others. They are most likely locked deep with in a dungeon. Or worse they are dead." Touya reasoned.

"Fine we have to find out where the strong hold is and where Yusuke and the others are." Chu said, "Sounds fun."

"It's in spirit world." Botan mumbled.

* * *

Yusuke smiled happily as he headed back for the temple but suddenly found himself growling. They were gone. His eyes rimmed red and turned back. He would need Kurama's nose and brain to find them now.

Yusuke made his way back to the palace in spirit world and pushed open the huge doors. "Did you get them?" Kuwabara asked him

"No, they weren't there." Yusuke growled, "What do you care?"

"It's not my fault!"

"Yes it is, if they had come with you in the first place then you wouldn't be out looking for them." Kuwabara shot but the two boys stopped when they heard the echo of shoes in the distance.

"Stop fighting, we will find them. Lets go." The man behind the voice stepped out in front of them.

"Kurama?" The two boys smirked and said in unison.

"Our orders are to get the pacifier and kill the Botan. Hiei will join the order." Kurama said darkly. "Come on." He ordered and walked out the doors.

* * *

"Are you sure, Botan?" Jin asked, "You know they could be waiting for and ambush."

"Are you trying to say that I would lead you into an ambush? Silly Jin." Botan shook her head.

"SHUT UP. Leave her be." Hiei yelled, "Now lets get back to the human world and think of something"

* * *

"Master are you sure they will find them? Why cant we just kill them all now." The dark lord kneeled before his leader, the mastermind.

"Because," came an old voice of sadness and hate. "We need their souls. The souls of all four and that pacifier will open new worlds and I will rule it all."

"Yes, my lady." The dark lord bowed and turned to leave.


	22. Chapter Zweiundzwanzig

**Chapter Zweiundzwanzig_

* * *

_ **

That night Botan sat on the bed huddled in the corner with her knees held to her chest. She wondered if everything would be sunny and bright again. Wondered if she and Hiei would get to see what they could have together.

Botan sat up quickly as she heard a soft humming come from outside and peered out the window of her room. Thousands of petals danced down like rain over the grass and she smiled. "Kurama." She spoke quickly and run out of her room and out the front door to greet him.

"Kurama? I know you are here, only you could make such beautiful flowers from the dead earth." Her smiled faded as the petals stopped falling. "K-Kurama?" she shivered in fear, "I'm scared, please come out."

Blood Red eyes could be seen through the haze of the dying world, "all you had to do was ask." His dark smirk found its way to his soft features. He took a few steps toward her and stopped. "Why, aren't you happy to see me?"

"I-I am… I-I m-missed you. How did you escape?" Botan took a step back.

"Hn. Why are you running from me?" Kurama asked darkly

"I-I'm not."

"Maybe not Physically but I can sense your fear and you are shaking. DO you fear me?"

"No."

"That's too bad, you should be." He crossed the way grabbing hold of her wrist tightly, "You see, I have come here to take you to the lord and Master. You have eluded him for far too long and now's the time for you to face your destiny." He smirked and picked her up.

"No! Kurama, Stop! What's gotten into you!"

"Silence Wench!"

"Fox. If you do not release her this instant I will do it for you." Hiei's icy hot voice filled the air as his red pools of dangerous eyes shown from the treetops.

"Hiei." Kurama Smirked, "Why should I? Your threats are nothing to me. I am far stronger than you are."

"Hiei! Help me." Botan cried and was tossed aside where she rolled and hit her head on the base of a tree and blacked out.

"You will surely regret doing that, Fox." Hiei snarled and jumped from the tree landing before the dark red head. He drew his Katana and held it at the ready.

"What do you plan on doing with that scrap of metal?" Kurama laughed and pulled out his rose transforming it into his Whip and snapped it in warning.

"Shut up Fox! I don't know why you are working for them but it stops here." Hiei advanced forward swinging his sword down but Kurama's whip wrapped around it and with one swift tug, yanked the sword from Hiei's fingers.

"You see." He smirked, "The only way to beat me is to use that Dragon of yours but you wouldn't want to kill your closest friend would you?"

"No I wouldn't, but you are not my closest friend." Hiei smirked.

"Really? Then who is it? That Girl?" Kurama laughed, "You could never find love. Which reminds me, I have wanted to get you back for hurting her back there. I think this will be the best opportunity." Kurama's whip snapped and Wrapped around Hiei's Ankles pulling then together where he lost balance and fell to the ground.

Hiei Sat up quickly and grabbed the whip with his bare hands, the thorns dug into his flesh making his hands bleed intensely. A fire flew through his hands making the vine burn up and he stood quickly. "That was none of your business." He growled and held out his hand as his hair stuck up dangerously.

"That's better, Hiei." Kurama Smirked Darkly as his eyes began to glow with a burning need for revenge and blood. He wanted to feel it between his fingers wanted to feel the glory of having the power to take a life.

"I have wanted to see this side of you for a long time, Fox." His dragon was itching to be free, to burn everything in sight. "To see your lust to kill."

"Shut up and Fight me." He snarled as a soft silver mist danced around him, hiding him from the world.

When the smoke cleared Yoko stood tall, his dark eyes glowing with a vengeance, His ears pointed dangerously and between his fingers he held three white roses.

* * *

Touya woke with a start as a huge surge of power busted through his veins, "What the?" he jumped from bed and ran out into the hall where he saw Jin and Chu. "What is that you guys?"

"Beats me." Chu shrugged, "sort of feels like Hiei and Kurama… but…"

"That's it. Kurama must be here." Touya frowned, "but why would they be fighting and how did he escape?"

"Lets not sit around here, let's have a look" Jin's ears twitched.


	23. Chapter Dreiundzwanzig

**Chapter Dreiundzwanzig**

Hiei panted and licked the blood from the corner of his mouth as he picked up his sword once more not wanting to kill Kurama with the darkness technique, only wanting to hurt him bad enough to knock some sense into him.

"What are you going to do with that? You know that won't work on me." Yoko growled and tossed his roses. Two pierced Hiei's hands straight through the middle pinning him to the base of a huge tree. The third rose scratched over his left cheek leaving a bloody warning.

"Hn." Hiei spat and tried to pull his hands free while the roses grew long vines that slowly coiled and wrapped around his arms moving slowly to cover all of him.

"Hiei I thought you were faster than that. What is holding you back?" Yoko stalked toward him with a dark smirk gracing his lips.

"Nothing."

"Now that just isn't true." He spoke with venom "I will kill you, so either you stop me now… or die." Yoko pulled his third rose from the tree and it slowly transformed into a dagger with jagged thorns across the blade. "You're choice" he shrugged.

"Hn, I will not kill you."

"You have changed. Too bad for you." Yoko plunged the knife in to the soft flesh of his friend, but he didn't scream, nor did he flinch. "Hmm I see you handle pain well. Just wait until my vines kill you from the inside out."

Botan groaned and pushed herself off of the ground. Looking left and right seeing Yoko but gasped as she saw Hiei pinned to the tree with a rose dagger stuck in his chest. "Hiei." She mouthed as her voice gave in. She walked toward Yoko staggering as she did. "S-Stop… d-don't… kill him…" She lost her footing and fell to the ground and closed her eyes as she noticed Yoko coming toward her.

"Let her go! I am not dead yet." Hiei spoke as sweat coated his face, as it turned red with pain.

" Oh you will be soon enough." Yoko smirked and paused as a fire engulfed the tree that held Hiei. "What's this?" he turned just as his vines and flowers melted in the dark fire "What a neat trick."

"I have had just about enough of you. You can't win. Fire kills everything, you can't kill me with those plants of yours."

"I beg to differ." Yoko advanced toward Hiei with a handful of dandelion seeds. He held the ball of his palm to his lips and blew sending thousands of seeds toward his old friend.

Hiei held his breath knowing full well what would happen if he took a breath and growled as blood seeped through his clothing from the stab wound. He would have to take a breath sooner or later but he held it anyway.

"S-Stop this!" Botan Jumped up and coughed as she swallowed down full breath of the seeds and grabbed her throat. Fire ran over everything, her lungs hurt the most.

"Botan!" Hiei yelled and sank down next to her as she fell to the ground. "Fox! Look what you did, are you happy now?"

Kurama looked down at his hands and took a step back. What had he just done? His mind was fighting within and he had to get away.

"H-Hiei." Botan reached up weakly and stroked his cheek featheredly. "I-Is it over?" she whispered and closed her eyes tightly as her lungs and throat burned with each spoken word.

"Shh, it's okay Botan. You'll be fine." Hiei set her down and stood up eyes red with hate and darkness. "You want a true fight from me fox? Well here it is."

" I didn't want for that to happen. But all I really needed was that pacifier and I will have it." Kurama smirked but that soon faded when he felt the tight pinch of a sword cutting his neck and the cold rush of blood sliding down.

"Sorry old friend but this is the only way to stop this, that I can see." Hiei closed his eyes ready to slit his fallen friend's neck.

"Hiei don't do it!" Touya's voice cut through the darkness. " IF you kill him you will regret it."

"What do you know? He tried to kill me. Why shouldn't I just kill him first?"

"Oi mate, he is your best friend." Chu added, "He needs your help not death."

"How do you know all of this? How do you know that he just isn't doing this out of his own free will?"

"Look at his face… into his eyes."

Hiei noticed a tear and a scream of a needed freedom in Kurama's eyes and tossed him down to the ground harshly. "Fine but we don't want him to escape and try for our lives again. We need to figure out what was given to him." Hiei growled and grabbed up Kurama by his red hair and tossed him to Touya. "Take him inside."

Touya nodded and walked off with Kurama and the others as Hiei walked to Botan's side.

"Onna, Open your eyes. Now!" Hiei ordered and shook her roughly "Get up. Stop being so weak." Botan's breath shortened and soon she became numb to the world.


	24. Chapter Vierundzwanzig

**Chapter Vierundzwanzig**

"Kurama should have been here by now." Yusuke growled darkly, "Something must have happened to him."

"Well, what should we do?" Kuwabara asked boredly and leaned back against the wall. "I wouldn't worry about it, Kurama knows what he's doing. He'll get Botan and the pacifier."

"Yeah I guess. But why did we have to wait here for him, I think it would have been easier to go together." Yusuke grumbled.

"Let's give him another hour, if he doesn't come back then we can go after him."

* * *

"Ooh, my head, what happened?" Kurama blinked his eyes open slowly and sat up slowly only to be yanked back down

"Well hello, old friend." Hiei growled, "You happy? You got what you wanted."

"I-I did?" Kurama brought a hand to his forehead and winced, "Hiei what are you talking about, Where is Botan?"

"AH, now you care. It's a little too late for that." Hiei hissed venomously, "I don't know what happened to you back there or whatever darkness they put you through, but it was no excuse."

"Hiei, Tell me what happened to Botan!" Kurama spoke seriously

"Now, now, boys there is no need for yelling." Botan walked in with a tray of warm tea and alcohol for Kurama's cut. "Hiei are you teasing poor little Kurama?" she smiled as she sat next to the red head on the bed.

"Botan, You're okay! Thank god." Kurama spoke but hissed as Botan dabbed at the cut on his neck.

"Hiei, you are so lucky you didn't hurt him too bad."

"Yeah, and what about what he did to me?" Hiei pouted at not getting any attention.

"I thought you didn't need anyone to take care of you. But if you would like me to dress your wounds all you have to do is ask." Botan winked

"B-Botan I…" Kurama started slowly

"Drink." Botan ordered as she handed Kurama the cup of tea. Then she turned her attention to Hiei again. "Well?"

"Hn." Hiei looked away slowly trying to hide the tinge of pink on his cheeks. "Woman you are insufferable." He said darkly and stood up walking out of the room.

"He loves me." she smiled to herself and took the cup from Kurama. "How are you feeling?"

"Why are you taking care of me? I tried to kill you and Hiei and almost succeeded."

"Kurama, you are still our friend. Besides we know what happened."

"Y-You do?"

"Yeah, You see after you passed out Hiei went into your head." Botan shivered as she remembered the way Hiei described it. "About your nightmare and memories. Usually you hide your thoughts but something deep down didn't want to hide what happened to you so we were able to find the truth."

"I see." Kurama turned his head away. He remembered all too well the torture he was put through. "But how did you get the poison out?"

"Well, you see, Touya took some of your blood so he could test the poison and worked out an antidote from there. Kurama, do you always ask all these questions?"

"Yes, I have one more." Kurama smiled, "How did you make it out? I know what those seeds can do."

"That's a story for another time. You Just rest now, okay?" Botan covered him up lightly and walked out. "You need anything you just call."

"Hai, thank you." Kurama fell back onto his pillow and stared at the ceiling. Visions of what had happened earlier swirled in the back of his head, before his heart and into his soul. Karasu still haunted him even in death. He sighed and buried it deep within him as with every other painful memory.

* * *

"Don't be so mad, Hiei. Kurama is still our friend." Botan sat across from him at the table. "Look, I think its time we found Yusuke and Kuwabara and helped them like we did Kurama. At least we now know how to reverse the affects of the poison."

"Onna, Please shut up, for once in your life." Hiei spat. "You think it will be that easy for us to storm in there and take back our friends?"

"He has a point, I mean even if we found Yusuke and Kuwabara they will try and fight us." Touya added.

"I know of a way." Came a voice from behind them.

"Kurama? I told you to get some rest." Botan frowned.

"I'm in no need of rest. The only way to get in there is to be captured."

"Oh smart one, Kurama. Have you gone Bonkers? If we are captured then we will be surrounded, they'll kill us mate." Chu said

"I have a plan." Kurama smirked


	25. Chapter Fünfundzwanzig

**Chapter Fünfundzwanzig**

Kurama smirked as his plan slowly began to unfold. He mind was ripe with things to say and do. He loved the new challenge and would hold it for all that I was worth.

"There is, however, a chance we will have to fight Yusuke and Kuwabara." Kurama admitted solemnly.

"Hn, That won't be a problem." Hiei smirked rather darkly for anyone's taste.

"You can't kill them!" Botan Jumped in.

"I wasn't suggesting that I kill them." Hiei growled out. "Stay out of this."

"Ha, Shows what you know I am going with you to the palace." Botan said and pointed toward Kurama when Hiei gave her a _'You are most certainly not'_ look. "Even ask Kurama."

"Fox?" Hiei slowly stretched the word in anger as he turned to look at him.

"Well, yes. She is needed in this plan, actually Botan has a most important role in all of this." Kurama said trying to hold his _'everything will be okay'_ smile.

"And what of Touya and the others?" Hiei asked. "What is their role in this?"

"They are going to storm the castle while we distract Yusuke and Kuwabara, Of course." Kurama said, Oh yes his plan was going to be perfect indeed. "You see when they get in there they will be able to administer the antidote to those they run into and try and get as many people as they can on our side."

"Oh, hey that's a good idea, that way we can free the people without hurting them." Botan smiled. "So lets get started. I want to get all of this over with."

* * *

"Let's go now." Kuwabara said impatiently waiting for the return of Kurama and the Pacifier.

"No, you remember what our orders were." Yusuke growled out and pulled his friend back into the cover of the trees.

* * *

"Come on Woman,"

"I hate it here in demon world." Botan said as she tried to jump a few rocks that were neatly stuck in nasty bog water swamp.

"It's not all bad, Botan." Kurama laughed and picked her up stepping the stones gracefully. "There you are." He placed her down as they searched for a portal. "There should be one right here, somewhere." Botan let out a scream and Kurama turned to see that she had fallen into a hole in the ground. "Ah, there it is, good work Botan." He said and jumped in after her and Hiei.

"The Spirit world." Botan smiled it felt strange to her; she was starting to get lightheaded

"Onna?" Hiei looked over at her, "What's with you?"

"I feel dizzy." She said.

"Well Botan, you are in your human form." Kurama reminded her, "You'll get used to being this high." He said and they started their way down the path. With Jin and the others ahead of them by a day they would be in position when Kurama's plan really took place.

After about an hour of walking Botan began shiver as the pacifier around her neck lit up, as they got closer to their destination. "Guys are you sure this is a good idea? I am getting a bad feeling."

"Don't worry Botan everything will be…" Kurama was cut off when a blue bullet flew past his shoulder getting lost in the endless sky. "Yusuke."

"That's right." Yusuke and Kuwabara stepped out in front of them on the narrow walkway toward the palace. "And what do you think you are doing helping them. Kurama?"

Kurama ignored that comment and pulled out his rose "Rose Whip" Kurama smirked as he gave his signal to the boys. His whip wrapped around Botan's ankle and tugged her to the ground where he dragged her to him.

"Kurama? What is this?" Hiei scowled and advanced toward Him only to be stopped by Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"Well I am doing what I was set out to do." He smiled darkly as Botan struggled against his whip as it started to grow and curl around her legs wrapping her up tightly.

"You traitor! You Bastard! How could you do this?"

"Oh Shut up Hiei, there wasn't a time in the past that you wouldn't have done this yourself." Kurama growled and picked up Botan carrying her away

"Hiei! Help Me!" Was the last thing he heard from her as she vanished from his view.

"Damn!" Hiei yelled but was soon cut off when Kuwabara's energy Sword came down on him grazing his right arm lightly. "Baka!" Hiei Ripped away from them and faced them with his sword drawn.

"You don't really think you can beat both of us at the same time, do you Short stuff?" Kuwabara smirked.

"Hn. I know I can. So are you just going to stand there or are you going to fight me?" Hiei dared as he tossed his cloak behind him ready to fight.


	26. Chapter Sechundzwanzig

**Chapter Sechundzwanzig**

Jin, Touya, and Chu made their way through the Palace of the dead looking for recruits to take back to the side of good. But soon came to find that there was no one in any of the rooms. "This is pointless mate, where did everyone go?" Chu asked

"I don't know, But Kurama would never give us the wrong information," Touya said and as soon as the words left his lips he took a step back. "Unless he isn't cured. Perhaps the antidote wasn't so good after all. This is a…" He was cut off before he could say it.

"Trap. That's right, he led you right into our hands, now you will become one of us." came the feminine voice of Shizuru.

"Hey aren't you Kuwabara's sister?" Chu asked and paused, "Botan told us you were dead."

"She doesn't know what she is talking about and that is none of your business, now are you going to come peacefully or are we going to have to do this the hard way?" She smirked at the boys

* * *

Botan had long since given up on struggling as she knew she would never get away from Kurama and tears began to fall from her eyes. All was lost now. "Kurama, why?"

"That is none of your concern, all you need to worry about is your death after we have taken that Pacifier from you." Kurama smirked darkly to himself. "So just shut up and enjoy your last moments of life."

"This isn't you." Botan winced as the pacifier grew in color and light and seemed to be sucking the energy from her.

" How do you know what's me?" Kurama growled, "You have no idea so just be quiet."

"No! I know you care about the earth, you care about humans and Demons, everyone is in danger. And I know that most of all you care about your friends."

"Hmm, well it seems you have only proven that I am a believable liar."

"Kurama, I know what happened to your mother." At that Kurama paused his walking but only for a second before he started walking again.

* * *

"You aren't scared to take both of us on, are you Hiei?" Yusuke smirked as he walked up next to Kuwabara,

"Hn. No, But I suggest you two give up right now, I wouldn't want to kill you."

"That's too bad, you see, you aren't leaving until you beat us and to beat us you need to kill us," Yusuke said. "So I guess you'll have no choice, But it doesn't really matter, the two of us will beat you."

Hiei wasted no time and ran at them pulling off his bandages letting the dragon of darkness swirl around him as it prepared for them. Yusuke and Kuwabara merely stood back and watched for a time before looking at each other.

"Ready?" Kuwabara asked and drew his sprit sword

"Ready." Yusuke held up a finger letting the hum of his spirit gun fill the air. At the exact same moment Hiei stopped and held out his hand on his outstretched arm Kuwabara and Yusuke attacked. The combined force of Spirit gun and sword plowed into the dragon of darkness in a swirling candy cane of blue and yellow.

And in an instant the sky was invisible, the world had gone still and everything around them Burst into thousands of shards of Fear and Hate. And explosion covered up the damage of that attack and all that could be done was waiting. Waiting for the smoke to clear and show the victor, if there one existed.

Slowly but surely the smoke drifted away into the sky forming new clouds before disintegrating all together.

Yusuke smirked at Kuwabara as they saw Hiei standing before them. "Too bad." Yusuke spoke and caught Hiei before he fell to the ground. "Ha, now there is no one left to stop our Master."

"We have all of them. I'd say Kurama did a good job with this plan." Kuwabara smiled, "at first I didn't think it was going to work."

"Neither did I. But it did." Yusuke tossed Hiei over his shoulder and started off. "Let's get him back and relax."

"Yeah." Kuwabara laughed as he walked with him.

* * *

"Just stay here for a bit Botan." Kurama said as he forced her into a dark room, he closed the door behind him and locked it. "See you shortly." He walked off.

Botan Winced again as a constant pick was felt deep within her skin, her heart, No, her very soul. "Why is this happening? Oh, where are you Koenma-Sama?" Botan slid down to the floor and wept openly.

"I have her, what should we do?" Kurama asked and smirked as he watched Yusuke and Kuwabara walk in with the fallen Hiei. "Wow I guess everything worked. As if there was any doubt."

"Good work." Said the dark lord, "now do we have the other three?"

"Yes sir." Shizuru walked up to her master and kisses his lips hotly. "They are in the poison room right now."

"Good work love, now go and help the other girls get ready for the big moment." He said and Shizuru walked off.

"And what do we do with Him?" Kuwabara asked.

"Let me worry about that, No, Stick him in the cell with the Onna." The dark lord smiled. "I do love a romantic tragedy." He smiled and strode off to see his Master, the Queen behind it all.


	27. Chapter Siebenundzwanzig

**Chapter Siebenundzwanzig

* * *

**

Botan was rocking back and forth in the dark corner in dark pain and cold despair. When would she have her old life back? When… Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the squeak of the cell door opening. She shivered thinking her time had come. This was the end.

Hiei was carried into the cell and dropped on the cold floor. Not a sound came from him as his holders closed the cell and walked off.

"H-Hiei?" Botan crawled over to him. He wasn't moving. Panic welled up within her and she cradled his head in her lap and cried. "Oh Hiei, I am so sorry for everything. Please forgive me." Botan quivered as her fear was whipping through her veins wanting to get out, to break the skin, to bleed. "I'm not strong enough. I couldn't do anything to make a difference. I even lost all of you Twice."

Hiei twitched lightly as a cold drop his it face, another, and another. He opened his eyes and looked up at the waterfalls what were Botan's tears. He slowly reached up and wiped them away. "Onna?"

Botan's gaze snapped back into reality and she looked slowly down at him and smiled faintly. It almost wasn't real. It wasn't the smile that annoyed him, the smile he loved so much. It was a new smile a sad smile.

They just sat there in the dark, for a time, looking into each other's souls. No smiles, no tears, no fear. Just nothing. It was over and they both knew it. Hiei pulled away and sat up against the wall, His back against the wall with his knees pulled up and his arms hanging off of them. His position suggested a kind of giving up.

Botan looked over at him and winced as she crawled over to him and crashed into his chest where he caught her in shock. He pulled her closer wanting to pull her into him to spare her this darkness. "I love you, Hiei." Botan whispered and cried into his cloak.

"I love you too." Hiei admitted and cradled her in his strong arms and flinched at what he had admitted to her, but more importantly, what he had admitted to himself.

The cell Door opened once more with an evil Squeak and in came Jin, Touya, and Chu. Botan picked up her head and smiled seeing them, "Oh god, Thank you, now we can get out of here."

"I'm afraid that only you will be coming out of this cell. Our master needs you," Touya said and pulled Botan away from Hiei, who was being pulled by Chu and Jin

Botan kicked and screamed, "Hiei, don't- don't let them have me. Please help me." Botan reached for him as he reached for her. Their fingertips touched for a moment before Botan was yanked from the room. Her broken tears fell once more, "HIEI! I LOVE YOU." Her voice was filled with pure terror, until she was dragged away and the echo of her screams faded.

Chu and Jin dropped Hiei on the floor and walked out of the cell locking him up tightly. "See you around mate."

"Or not." Jin added before they left him in the dark.

Hiei growled and stood up. There was something for him to live for and it was Her. Everything depended in him now and he would do whatever he could to save her. No way would he be beaten by an enemy he had never seen. This was drawing the line. With nothing left for them take they made one fatal mistake.

* * *

The Grand hall was filled with People, all under the control of the dark lord and his Master. In the center of the crowd stood a huge White Crystal big enough to fit a small woman. And that was just what they would use it for. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama stood off to the side of the crystal as a precaution.

The girls were dressed in black dresses with silver trim as they stood next to the dark lord, who was dressed in the same colors.

"Bring her in." Said the queen as her raspy voice rattled through her throat.

"You heard her, Do it." The dark lord reiterated. And the crowd spit as the huge purple doors opened revealing a struggling Botan dressed in a white kimono with gold designs.

Touya held onto her tightly. "Stop moving, it is time for your end." Touya told her

"Stop! No! I won't do this." Botan paused when she saw everyone she knew, Mak from the bar, Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina! Alive. And there before the crystal she saw Yusuke and the others. No one was helping her. They all just watched like a crowd at an execution.

The queen stood up and all eyes were on her, she pulled back her cloak and Botan's eyes went wide in horror. How could she be behind this? "G-Genkai?"

"That's right. This plan was quite an easy one to pull off. I thank you for making it so." Genkai said and smirked darkly. "The only thing is, I can't find Koenma. You know where he is, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I don't know what's going on anymore, my friends are all alive. What are you doing? I thought you were on our side."

"Side? Ha, there are no Sides." Genkai paused, "You might not know where Koenma is but you have his power."

Botan took a step back, "You wont get it, I wont let you have it," Botan took another step back only to bump into Chu. "Where is Hiei?" she yelled at him.

"Nowhere." Jin smiled, "now listen to what our queen has to say."

"Yes, you will give up that power, of course, you don't have the strength to use it yourself so I am going to use it. Put her in the Crystal!" Genkai ordered.

"NO!" Botan screamed and protested as the boys shoved her into the crystal where she melted into it and was frozen in time. She was dead to this world. Her eyes were closed and her lips where a blue-ish color. She was angelic. Botan could do no more to help and all of her friends only stood by. This was it, an Angel's Punishment.


	28. Chapter Achtundzwanzig

**Chapter Achtundzwanzig

* * *

**

Hiei growled in the dark corner waiting, watching. He would get free and everyone would pay for taking his light. He was sick of things being taken from him, sick of being weak. He would kill all who stood in his way; Demons, Humans, and his Friends if it called for it.

Patiently he waited for his chance and smirked when he heard someone coming. That was followed by a creaking sound and Hiei drew his sword silently save for a slivery whistle that came from unsheathing.

Slowly the guard came nearer and gasped at Hiei's red eyes but in the time it took to do that Hiei had plenty of time to strike and with one swift swing the guard fell lifeless to the ground. Smirking happily and filled with a new bloodlust, Hiei walked from his cell and toward the dark lord. "This is the end for all of them." Hiei growled to himself.

Slipping though the barren halls was an easy task but where was everyone? Hiei growled in frustration but paused when he heard chanting. He snuck silently along the wall and turned the corner. There, loomed the purple doors to the grand hall. That's where everyone was. Hiei boiled with anger and crept toward the doors.

He had to be careful about this since he was the only one left. He wouldn't let anything Murder this part of him. It scared him, to be loved, but his pride would make him endure his new fear.

Sword in hand, Hiei pushed open the door just a bit and peeked inside. "What the hell?" He whispered to himself as he saw everyone Bowing and chanting in circles around a pure white crystal. Taking a closer look he noticed who was in the crystal and griped his sword tightly making deep painful imprints in his palm.

* * *

Deep within the shadows of the Netherworld Koenma pushed himself off of the cold dead ground. Where was he? This world didn't exist anymore, how could he be here?

"What happened?" He groaned and sat up. "Botan! Genkai!" He shot up a little to quickly but ignored his head rush as he ran to find an exit.

Everything was a blur; all he could remember so far was running. Hiding from something. Koenma paused finding a portal and jumped through.

"Sir! There you are." Jorge Exclaimed hugging his master tightly, "I thought we had lost you. You were missing for weeks."

"Ack! Jorge, let me go, what happened?" Jorge smiled and let Koenma go.

"Well you went to warn Botan about Genkai and the Dark lord but foolishly…" He paused as Koenma gave him a death glare. " Eheh, anyway you gave her your pacifier and then we went into hiding, since you said it would be only until the right time and you fell into a hole and I have been looking for you for days and you're back." Jorge hugged him tightly again. "I missed you. But don't you think it's time we went back home?"

"Hai, if there is a home for us to go back to, there is no telling how bad it's gotten since we left." Koenma sighed in despair. "Some leader I am."

"Oh Sir, there is still time, isn't there?" Jorge frowned hopefully.

"I'm not so sure that there is." He admitted solemnly

"What exactly is going on? Why did we hide?" Jorge asked.

"Well Jorge something got loose from the vault of dark souls. This soul is very old and powerful. It took over all of the dark souls and became one with them. I had to warn Botan to keep the pacifier, if he got his hands on it the world would meet destruction. While he was sending out for us Botan would be free."

"But how would that have saved the world?"

"Well I needed a few more weeks to use its power so with it out of the way for a few days it would grow in power. I was going to go back for it and lock up that dark soul."

"Shouldn't we be looking for this dark soul?"

"My power still isn't strong enough. I need more soul energy." Koenma whispered. "Life energy."

"Life energy?" Jorge repeated as if the words were foreign to him.

"Come on, Jorge we have to get home."

* * *

Genkai sat back on her thrown and smiled as she was becoming younger and younger. "Prefect." She smiled "Now all I need to do is get my spirit wave from Yusuke, my little apprentice."

"Highness, May I pull it from him? I'll make sure it's painful." The dark lord asked her as he bowed his head and smirked inwardly

"If it pleases you." She waved him off. She couldn't remember anything before her call to power and couldn't help but think something was missing? Her life? Her memories? All she knew was that she wanted power, all of it.

A gasp was heard from the crowd as Hiei burst through the doors, his aura was strong with hate and revenge. He glared darkly at the crowd as they stood and back away from him making a path to the crystal. "Let her out of there. NOW!" Hiei said darkly

"Now Hiei you wouldn't want anything to happen to Your sister would you?" Genkai stood from the thrown calmly.

Hiei winced remembering that Yukina was dead, "Nothing will happen to her, Let Botan out of that thing. I don't care if you are the great Genkai, I Will kill you. "

Genkai took a few steps forward ignoring his threats, "Contrary to your belief, your sister, Yukina, is not dead." She snapped her fingers and Yukina stepped from the crowd. "You want to save Botan, I will let her go if you Kill Yukina here." Genkai smirked darkly.


	29. Chapter Neunundzwanzig

**Chapter Neunundzwanzig

* * *

**

Hiei took a step back as his sister stood before him her red eyes shining, the proof of their relation to one another bearing into his soul. Was she real? He had to know, he reached his hand out to touch her and she stood there, dead to the world.

"She is real, she was never dead, you were misinformed, Botan lied to you to keep you to herself." Genkai said,

Hiei looked up at the crystal and at Botan, would she be cold enough to do that? No, it wasn't true. "Stop with your lies and let her out of there."

"I told you, Kill your sweet sister. But I don't know why you would just to save some girl."

"She's not just some girl she is my…" Hiei pauses catching himself through his anger.

"She's your what!" Genkai yelled, very angry now, "hmm, Tell me! What is she to you?"

"Let her go!"

"ssss, NO!" hissed a dark menacing voice. "Sshe will do no SSSuch thing…" Hiei and the queen, both, looked toward the dark lord, his eyes were red and his voice was groggy "You both will give her to me, sshe will be my power, my completion."

"What are you saying?" Genkai looked all too distressed,

"Quiet you old hag, you are no longer needed." The dark lord held out and out stretched hand and a purple hue formed between his fingers and swirled within his palm and within moments an arrow like beam shot through Genkai causing her to fall to the ground with a painful scream.

Hiei watched Genkai fall and looked back at the dark lord, "Who are you?"

"What? You mean, What am I?" The dark lord smirked and slowly reached up for the hood of his cloak and pulled it off. Hiei took his sister's arm and moved her behind him out of instanced when he saw the featureless shadow that "stood" before him.

The dark lord was nothing but a shadow with big bright red eyes and a mouth like that of a black sock puppet, no lips, no eyelashes, no skin, no body. "I am a black soul. My name, as some know it, is Iniko."

"What do you want with her?" Hiei growled as he made a head motion toward Botan.

"She will give me more power, Power to pull all of the black souls and bad times out of these human pawns, I will feed off of them and rule all of the netherworld. I will DO what Yakumo failed to do. And you wont be stopping me. There is no way you can. But you are welcome to watch if you like."

Hiei glared darkly and then turned his glare to his friends

"No, don't look at them, there is nothing you can do about it, they are my slaves. And for your reputation I must say that it was the easiest thing, taking over their minds." Iniko smiled anew. "So just sit tight and watch."

"You don't really think that I am going to watch, do you? That's foolish." Hiei gripped his sword even tighter.

"Now don't do anything rash. Nothing you do will work on me, you see you are darkness. So your energy would just feed me."

"Who said I would use my darkness on you? I can beat you with just my swordsmanship." Hiei smirked darkly.

"Ha, your swordsmanship? Please, don't make me laugh. Just sit tight and you will get the show of your life."

"Not so fast Iniko!" Koenma's voice rang boomingly

"Lord Koenma? Where have you been?"

"Nowhere, Now let her out of there! She doesn't even know how to use that power." Koenma ordered, "or shall I have to get her out myself. All I have to do is use that pacifier and she will be free, you don't want to waste the power now do you?"

'But he can't do that, can he?' Jorge thought to himself as he stood behind his boss.

Iniko Growled, "Fine, but it doesn't matter I can still get this power from her." He snapped his fingers and the crystal melted away. Botan fell forward the fabric of her dress and her hair made her look like an angel that had been shot from the sky.

Hiei held out his arms to catch her but Iniko intervened and Botan floated into his arms. "She is mine, Hiei, it's too bad that you had to lose someone that you loved. But that pain and darkness is indeed appreciated, Thank you."

"Let. Her. Go." Hiei grimaced, "Give her to me now" He ordered and ran at the shadow full force and swung his sword wildly as he found that the silvery metal just went though him over and over again, no matter how many times he cut.

"That's ENOUGH!" The dark lord Backhanded Hiei sending him flying across the long room and into a huge obelisk. "You should know that a Shadow cannot be cut." He spoke darkly. "And as for you" he turned toward Koenma, "there is nothing you can do, you need life energy to use it and you have no more left. I, on the other hand, do. I have all of my loyal subjects." He smirked, "Fair well, Prince."

"It's not over yet, Iniko." Koenma growled.

"Not yet, you're right, so why don't we cut to the chase?" He smirked with worriless eyes.


	30. Chapter Dreißig

**Chapter Dreißig

* * *

**

While Botan's body was locked up her mind was still aware of everything. She heard everything. There had to be something she could do. Wait! It hit her, she was a human now, the pacifier had made her so, and she had life energy. Just enough. It was perfect.

'_Hiei.' _

-A voice? Whose voice?-

'_Hiei feel me in your heart.'_

-Heart… feel…-

Hiei winced as his mind was taken to a place deep within himself. And there she was standing before him. "Botan?"

'_Yes Hiei, I want you to listen to me. You know what gets rid of a shadow. LIGHT. Use your light to beat him.' _

"You are my light." Hiei said sadly

'_I know. And I will be your light; I will live in your heart. Use your light, Hiei.'_ Suddenly her voice stopped coming and he opened his eyes.

'_Use your light.'_ It echoed through his mind and his body became warm and his sword began to glow a pure white color. The color of light.

Genkai Pushed herself up from the ground, her vision was blurred and so was her mind. She remembered now.

* * *

_Two weeks earlier…_

_Genkai sat in her temple silently sipping her tea, "what's this?" She looked in her cup and gasped. "No." _

"Yes," the shadow spoke, "Hello there my queen. You are going to help me. Tell me everything you know about those detectives. You will rise to power and bring me with you." He growled and placed his outstretched hand to her chest and she fainted. She would be a queen and he would take over when the time came.

* * *

"H-he used me…" Genkai let out a breath and blacked out.

"What is going on?" The dark lord looked over at Hiei, "You just won't give up, will you?"

Hiei held up the sword and took his stance, "No."

"That's right Iniko, you can't have my power, Hiei has it now." Koenma smirked.

"But the life energy, where did he get it from?" Iniko looked at Botan once more. "She had it? How, she's dead?"

"No, she was brought back to the living when I entrusted her with My power."

"But she gave up her life selflessly? Why?"

"Shut up, both of you." Hiei growled as he made his way to the dark lord. "I told you I would kill you. And I will." Hiei spoke, "Put her down." Hiei ordered for he was in no mood to play little games. With one swift movement Hiei thrust the sword into the heart of the spirit, where he screamed out in pure agony.

His insides were being pulled apart like a bath bead in water, He began to dissolve in the air and was soon and echoic memory in the long halls of the palace. Hiei caught Botan in his arms.

All around him the spell was broken, Everyone was free. Life would go back to the way it was.

Kurama blinked a few times and held his head, along with Yusuke and Kuwabara. "What happened?" he suddenly remembered, " Oh no, Botan." Everyone paused and looked up at Hiei as he held his head to her chest.

No heartbeat. No life.

"Tell me she'll be fine, I mean wasn't she dead before?" Yusuke asked

"This time Yusuke, she's moved on. Even in her spirit form she had a heartbeat. But she gave her life to save us."

"Is this what you meant about using my light?" Hiei yelled at her dead form.

All eyes were on him again. He could feel them crashing into him as if he were a lonely jagged rock on the coastline. He picked his limp light up and carried her off. He walked to her room and placed her in her bed. "I love you."

Her hand fell off the side of the bed and he gasped at seeing the ring on her finger, She still loved him.

The door opened behind him, Koenma walked in, pacifier in hand. "She was very brave today."

"Hn." Hiei didn't look up from her form as he held her hand

"You know she did a good thing."

"Where were you?" Hiei asked in an angered whisper, "this was your responsibility. NOT HERS!"

"She was destined to do this."

"Bull Shit!" Hiei looked up at him. Tear gems streaming out like waterfalls. "You knew, You knew she would do it if you gave her life, and that's what you did. It was all a part of your plan. You didn't want to tell any of us because you knew we would try and stop her from giving her life energy."

"You are half right, I did know she would use her energy to safe us, I was expecting it. But I would never. NEVER use Botan to save myself. If I could have given up my life energy I would have. I can't, I am a god, a pure spirit I have no life energy."

"Hn."

"You know she did this for you too." Koenma Spoke softly "I'm sorry."

"Bring her back."

"I can't. Hiei there is nothing I can do." Koenma said and left the room closing the door behind him.

Hiei looked down at his Light in her permanent sleep, She was so beautiful. He slowly leaned down, this is what he lived for… His lips brushed over hers as his bandaged hand held her ringed hand. He pressed his lips a little harder to his and flinched as his bandages began to burn. He broke this one-sided kiss and watched.

His dragon pulled off of his arm and swam around the two of then and wrapped itself around Botan's arm, the same one, on which, she wore his ring. It only took a few moments.

"What's this?" Hiei winced as his dragon found its way back to its original home; Hiei ignored this as he noticed Botan's arm. She too had a dragon, a smaller one with white scales and red eyes. His dragon's light, his light. "Botan." He whispered.

"H-Hiei?" her voice was back again, her breath. She was alive again. Hiei looked at her tears falling all the while. "What has made you so sad?" She reached up weakly and wiped his tears away. "Don't cry, my love."

"H-How?" Hiei looked at her as if his whole world depended on it, and it did.

"Never question your gift." She whispered. " I love you my dark."

"I love you, my light." Hiei whispered back to her.

Life went back to its old ways; Botan and Hiei shared a love that was surpassed by no other. People slowly rebuilt their lives not really knowing what happened on that day. Botan remembered everything and would always remember the ciaos that ensued in thirty minutes.

DAS ENDE

* * *

Well that was the last chapter, glad you guys liked it. Also if there is anything you would like me to write just ask, I am up for a challenge. See you all.

Star


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